


Consequences

by fhsa_archivist



Category: Anita Blake: Vampire Hunter - Laurell K. Hamilton, Buffy the Vampire Slayer
Genre: Alternate Universe, Crossover
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2004-09-15
Updated: 2004-09-15
Packaged: 2019-02-05 16:14:30
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 21
Words: 33,845
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12797988
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fhsa_archivist/pseuds/fhsa_archivist
Summary: Willow tries to help get Angel's son back but something goes wonky.Notes: BTVS spoilers up to the end of season six after that its AU. Angel to the episode where he looses Connor after that its AU. AB to NIC after that its AU





	1. Part 1

**Author's Note:**

> Note from Haven, the archivist: This story was originally archived at [Fandom Haven Story Archive (FHSA)](http://fanlore.org/wiki/Fandom_Haven_Story_Archive), was scheduled to shut down at the end of 2016. To preserve the archive, I began working with the OTW to transfer the stories to the AO3 as an Open Doors-approved project in November 2017. If you are this creator and the work hasn't transferred to your AO3 account, please contact me using the e-mail address on [Fandom Haven Story Archive collection profile](http://archiveofourown.org/collections/fhsa/profile).

LA Hyperion Hotel

 

Angel was frantic, his son was lost to some demon dimension and there was no way to get him back or at least none that he could find. He had exhausted all his sources both good and evil and nothing. He was desperate and knew that there was still one person who he had yet to ask He knew asking her could be a problem but there was no one else left to resort to, even Wolfram and Hart had been stumped by it. He did the one thing he promised never to do again; endanger his friends with his quest for revenge. He had a single minded purpose no one could distract, innocents or not redemption be damned he wanted his son back and nothing would stand in his way.

 

"Willow."

 

"Angel?" She sounded confused; Angel had never called her much less at Giles place in England.

 

"Yes, I need your help." Angel wasn't accustomed to asking for help; he was the one everyone came to for help not the other way around.

 

"Um, you do know I tried to end the world, right? I'm in therapy over here." Angel sighed he knew that but desperate times called for desperate measures.

 

"I know. I heard though one of my sources. I wouldn't ask this of you Willow but you're my last resort." Therapy in England for ending the world? He was sure there was no help for such a thing, he almost plunged the world into hell and therapy wasn't available to him, he got to go on a retreat instead. All expense paid trip to hell, courtesy of his one true love. Three hundred years of torture put the end the world thing into the correct perspective for him. He however didn't mention that to Willow.

 

"Your not hanging up on me so I guess that means you're giving me the benefit of the doubt on if I'm really evil or you just need my help and could care less if I eat babies for breakfast am I close?" Alex tell her what she's won.

 

"Well more or less but I rather doubt your evil or eating babies. Maybe a little lost and confused but not evil never that."

 

"Angel, you are the first person who actually admitted that to me since I've been here. Giles tells me I need to learn control and everyone else is just wary as hell and saying really profound shit I don't understand. Not that you care but, since you called I might as well listen to what kind of help you need." Willow sounded exasperated and depressed and slightly angry all at once, it was better than the slam the phone down in his face thing.

 

Angel thought about her request and decided that he better start at the beginning because if he just blurted out the problem she would think him nuts. "Do you have a minute or maybe 60?"

 

"Angel, I'm in England, in therapy not much to do around here but meditate and think about what I have done. I don't have a set schedule for these things so I can do them pretty much anytime I want to." Well when she puts it like that. "Anyway its your phone bill." Good point better talk fast.

 

Angel started from the beginning when he first got to LA, met Doyle and Cordelia. His mission and such then came Wesley and more innocents saved. He finally met Gunn and everything was fine until the evil law firm. He told her about his run ins with them, the whole Darla thing and then leaving Dru and her to snack on a room full of lawyers. He also briefly mentioned how Fred had joined his team. Willow was quiet throughout the whole thing. She made encouraging noises at the appropriate places; it felt good to talk to someone about all that had happened. He finally told her about Darla showing up pregnant and him being the father. She took that surprisingly well. He finally got to the part about the prophecy about the father killing the son and Wolfram and Hart's devious plotting. He told her about Holtz and how he had jumped into the demon dimension with his son.

 

"Let me guess you want me to help you get him back?" Willow had always been the smart one in the group. Angel was nodding then realized that she couldn't see him over the phone.

 

"Yes, I need you to help me get my son back." He heard her sigh.

 

"You know that opening portals to demon dimensions deal with black magic, the kind I'm trying to get away from by coming here and doing the therapy bit. Even I can't just open a portal in fact the only person who can is Dawn, well more to the point her blood and good luck getting Buffy to agree to it. I don't think she will be able to take everything you told me as calmly as I did. The only reason I'm calm is because I can't cast any stones since I'm distructo girl now."

 

"Damn, I had thought... you were my last hope. You're right I don't think any of this would sit well with Buffy. I couldn't use Dawn that way either, even I have a limit." Willow could hear the pain in him or more to the point feel it, she understood his loss it was like hers which was why she tried to help.

 

"Don't go all woe is me. There is still one other way. It would bypass Buffy and get me in some serious shit, not to mention you but it could be done." She hoped it could be done if not then they were both going to end up more fucked up than they were now.

 

"Are you sure? Can you do it?" Angel felt a small kernel of hope bloom in his heart maybe not all was lost.

 

"Actually no I'm not sure. It all hinges on if Dawn will trust us enough to give her blood up without Buffy or any of the others knowing. We need her blood there is no other way to rip a hole in dimensions, your blood will hopefully guide us to the right dimension and through your link with Connor I should be able to transport him to us." Angel knew it sounded easy but he knew it was a lot of ifs involved with her plan it was even riskier then some of the ones he'd considered.

 

"Blood rituals are very hard to control, and they are also the most binding."

 

"I know but I don't see any other way, all the books I absorbed have nothing on demon dimension portals we are flying solo and blind." She spoke quietly, which made Angel think someone had walked into the room, he didn't have to think about it anymore he knew his choice.

 

"All right, we will do this, I have complete faith in you. When can you get here?"

 

"Well, as soon as I leave here Giles and the coven will know and alert Sunnydale. We have one chance to do this so we have to be well prepared before hand. I'll teleport to Sunnydale and try for in front of Buffy's house. Teleportation is tricky you have to have an exact picture of where you want to end up in you mind or you might teleport inside a tree and that would be really bad. Buffy should be patrolling by 10 pm you need to show up at Buffy's by 10:15, I will transport myself there around the same time. Dawn should still be awake and able to help if she wants to. If she doesn't then I'll try to think of something else but I don't think I could come up with anything else. After picking up Dawn's blood we need to go to one of the cemeteries and perform the ritual, hopefully Buffy won't find us. By the way what time is it over there so I can be there on time?"

 

"Its 6:45 at night. So that gives me time to drive to Sunnydale after putting some things in order here. I guess that's it. I'll see you in a couple of hours then." Willow agreed and was about to hang up when she heard Angel talk again.

 

"And Willow?"

 

"Yeah?"

 

"Thanks for doing this and be careful."

 

"I will." She hung up after that; there was no more to be said.

 

Angel rushed off to leave a note for Cordelia, Gunn, Fred, and even Wesley. He packed a change of clothes and some blood as well. He knew even if it was a long shot he had to try, even if it put Willow in danger. Without another thought he got into his convertible and sped away to Sunnydale.

 

Willow was doing many of the same things, she wrote a note for Giles as well as Buffy and the Scooby gang. She tried to meditate but it was impossible she was too hyped up to find her inner self. She decided to go out into the countryside and just sit and watch the horses in the field. Soon after it was time to head back, after all she had to prepare to transport herself halfway across the world. She hoped that she wouldn't screw this up; they wouldn't get another chance to try.


	2. Part 2

Sunnydale Buffy's house

 

Angel saw Buffy and Xander head out to patrol around 9:45 from where he was parked across the street. He had been worried Buffy felt him when she stared at his car longer than necessary but she just shook off whatever bothered her and kept going. Angel knew he sighed more than was needed for someone who was dead but it made him feel better. He was usually so able to blend into his surroundings by not moving was fidgeting like a two year old. He was disgusted with himself but had to laugh at the absurdity of a vampire such as himself fidgeting. He got out of the car at exactly 10:15 and cautiously made his way across the street, he felt air get a bit static-y and looked around to see what was doing in. He heard a quiet pop as Willow appeared on Buffy's porch.

 

"Damn, I'm glad they didn't move anything since I was last here. I could have ended up in a chair or something. Oh Hi Angel, fancy meeting you here." She gave him a small wave and a smile.

 

"Yeah, fancy meeting you here." Angel repeated walking to the porch and standing next to her looking her over. She looked much the same except for the look in her eyes. He had only seen that same tortured look only once before and he rather not think of who had worn it.

 

Willow knocked and a second later a grumbling Dawn opened the door.

 

"I told you to take your keys Buffy..." When she realized who she was talking to she froze, her eyes going wide.

 

"Willow and Angel?" Dawn was confused and wary. She was wary of Willow and confused about Angel being on her doorstep at night, those things just didn't jive for some reason.

 

"Dawnie. Hi." Was all Willow could manage since Dawnie was looking at her like she was a bad thing.

 

"Dawn." Angel nodded at the girl, he had never really gotten to know her.

 

"What are you doing here?" Dawn asked, Willow winced and smiled painfully and Angel.

 

"Forgot to tell you about a couple of things I did."

 

"Obviously." Angel answered wondering what had warranted the cool reception they were receiving from Dawn.

 

"Dawnie I know you probably hate me and all but I need your help...well Angel needs your help...so I guess we need your help." Dawn looked suspiciously at them and wondered why they would need her help no one ever did.

 

"Why?"

 

"I know I tried to end the world and all but I promise that I'm not trying to do that or go psycho bitch witch on you or anything but I need to open a portal and I need your blood Dawn." Willow watched as Dawn went pale and a look of shock and panic came across her features. "No that's not what we want Dawn, we aren't doing the Glory thing. I need about half a cup of your blood. I would explain but I don't have much time. I need you to trust us and just let us know right now what your answer is." Willow hated putting the girl on the spot but they didn't have much time. Connor had already spent four days in a demon dimension.

 

Dawn knew that if Willow was going to do a bad thing with her blood she wouldn't have asked and second Angel wouldn't be with her. She trusted Willow even with all the stuff that had happened.

 

"All right let's go into the kitchen. However I want an explanation when you finish doing whatever is that you're doing."

 

Both Angel and Willow nodded as they followed her into the kitchen. She grabbed a cup and took out a sharp knife. This was going to hurt.

 

"I need to get a couple of things." Willow looked at Dawn.

 

"Everything's where you left it. We didn't touch anything except to clean and dust."

 

"Right. Angel be right back and then we need to get going."

 

Dawn was still pondering the best way to cut her wrist without all the pain when Angel spoke it startled her.

 

"Do you want me to do it?"

 

"No. I can do it. I was just thinking about the pain and all. How I'm going to explain it to Buffy and life in general." Angle didn't know if she was being sarcastic or not.

 

"I'm sorry to do this to you Dawn, but there is no other way. I looked and found nothing. I hate bringing Willow into it but she was my last hope." Dawn just looked away and sliced her wrist.

 

"Damn that hurts, you two better be grateful. Angel if anything bad happens to Willow...I'm sending Spike and Buffy after you. She's like my other sister and I want her safe." Angel smiled at how much she had in common with Buffy.

 

"I promise. Don't worry I would stake myself before I'll let any harm come to Willow." Dawn nodded accepting his promise. Willow came back down with her backpack slung over her shoulder and she had changed outfits. Dawn and Angel were surprised at her choice of clothing. She noticed their scrutiny and answered the unasked question.

 

"Leather pants are easier to keep clean and afford some measure of protection from whatever we might encounter. The shirt...well it looked good with the pants." Dawn giggled at the fact that she called a spaghetti strap top a shirt. It was true though the dark green shimmer-y top brought out her eyes. The leather jacket completed the ensemble nicely.

 

Dawn handed Angel the cup half filled with her blood as she looked for something to wrap around the injury.

 

"Here I'll heal it so no one asks pesky questions." Willow placed her hand over Dawn's wrist; she felt warmth then nothing. Her cut had healed there wasn't even a scar visible.

 

"How cool. You have to teach me that when you get back."

 

"I promise. Now we really have to go. Take care Dawnie and I'm sorry about before."

 

"Don't worry about it, it's all in the past. Be careful you two and remember when you get back I want an explanation." Dawn saw them out, they headed for what she believed was Angel's car and drove off. She wondered how long she could keep their visit a secret as she went back inside. She knew all hell would break loose when everyone found out. She just hoped Angel and Willow would be here for that but she had a feeling that they wouldn't.


	3. Part 3

"Willow? I don't mean to question your skills but why are we in a cemetery?" Angel was a bit skeptical to her reasoning after all demons summoned bad things in cemeteries and well it gave him the wiggins as Buffy would say.

 

"Well it was either this place or some poor unsuspecting souls backyard or street they drive to work through and well no one visits this cemetery except Buffy and I doubt she'll be visiting the exact same one as we are in with the helping you with the illegal mojo bit and all." She smirked when she saw my wince. Angel followed her to the oldest part of the cemetery and wondered what would this attempt cost them. His redemption be damned his soul could stand one more black mark or two or three he was a vampire after all but what about Willow's?

 

"What about Willow's?" She repeated Angel was confused had he spoken out loud.

 

"I was just thinking..."

 

"Brooding." She interrupted

 

"I was just brooding..." He stressed before continuing. "...About what these actions will cost you in the long run? Can you afford to do this without losing yourself in the power? How dark is the magic we are about to use?" We stood in a small clearing now; well crypts but no graves surrounded us so it was clear by a cemeteries standard.

 

She sighed. Started to answer and stopped. She started unpacking her backpack taking out an ornate dagger and a chalice before answering. "Angel would it really matter in the long run?" Willow understood his need to feel guilty but no amount of guilt would change the fact that he would kill the pope to get his son back if it was needed.

 

"No, I guess not." He answered quietly, wondering if maybe this worse than just acting like a soulless bastard as Cordelia so helpfully pointed out. He the soul version was putting not only himself but Willow and the world in danger for what can only be deemed a selfish reason. After all what was one life compared to the world?

 

"Stop. Please stop thinking so damn hard Angel. You're giving me a case of depressed the likes of which I have never experienced. I'm doing this because it needs to be done and you're my friend and if there would have been a way to save Tara I would move heaven and earth to try so I understand. No more recriminations we are in this together the prices we pay will come later." Willow hoped that helped him stop with the self-recriminations and such they were annoying.

 

Angel nodded his understanding then asked the question that had been bothering him from the beginning. "You can hear my thoughts? Can you read minds?" He wasn't sure if he liked the thought of her doing that.

 

"No I can't read minds unless I choose to but I can hear others thoughts if they think them hard enough I guess." She shrugged. "It's hard to explain, after absorbing so much power well I guess I earned abilities, I'm kind of telepathic but I cant just read minds, I hear the thoughts that are directed at me or are thought about with a lot of feeling but for the most part I can't read your mind unless your doing the broody mind thing. I can talk to you telepathically and you can to me but again it varies. Giles said I would learn to control it and understand it in time…" While talking Willow had prepared her space as best at possible hoping that this wouldn't back fire and plunge the world to hell. She knew that opening dimensional portals came with more of a price that Angel knew but she was willing to pay it.

 

"You ready?" She asked Angel he nodded and stood beside her as she indicated. He felt the power in her then as she called it to her. Her eyes had turned black as a starless sky. Her hair was whipping around her face as if an invisible wind was centered on it. She started speaking but it was with such voice that it was as if a thousand souls spoke all at once in perfect unity.

 

By the four ancient elements I call thee,

O ancient gods of air and all elemental spirits of the east,

O ancient gods of fire and all elemental spirits of the south,

O ancient gods of water and all elemental spirits of the west,

O ancient gods of earth and all elemental spirits of the north,

I call thee; bless your daughter on this night.

 

As air turns,

As fire burns,

As water carries,

As earth buries I bind us to graves of the dead.

 

Angel could only stare as Willow cast the spell, which would ground them in this dimension. When she poured Dawns blood out of the chalice to the ground he saw the dimensional rift start to open a swirling mass of light so bright it hurt to look straight into it. Willow grabbed his wrist and cut it open as she spoke.

 

With this blood I open the portal,

With this blood I choose the gateway,

With this blood I call the child

I summon thee now through time and space

 

Connor appeared as if pulled through the rift with nothing more than a thought. He was still whole, he looked hurt but not in a life or death way. Willow leaned down and picked him up and handed him to Angel. This had gone rather well Angel thought, which was probably why Buffy appeared.

 

"WILLOW!" Came the shout from behind them, both Willow and Angel were startled.

 

Buffy didn't know what was going on but it was bad. What other reason would Willow be casting spells with blood? Why else would Angel be here holding a baby no less, had Willow tried to use the baby in the ritual?

 

"Buffy, its OK. She's helping me." That only managed to calm the slayer down a bit.

 

"What is going on? What's with the baby?" She was looking at Angel so she failed to look at what Willow was doing but Angel saw and was confused before understanding dawned. Willow had cut her own wrist and was letting it drip into the portal.

 

With this blood I release the blood of those called,

With my blood I bind the portal,

With my blood I bind the gateway.

 

Willow turned and stared at Buffy and Angel and Connor, they looked good together. She knew her choice was the right one; after all she had nothing left to keep her here. She loved her friends but it wasn't enough anymore. It hurt too much to stay here and at least this way she did some good while leaving.

 

"I love you guys, but death is my curse." Willow turned back around and started reciting the rest of the spell, the closing.

 

"NO!" Angel shouted at her as he handed Connor to a very stunned Buffy. "He's mine. Take good care Connor. Make sure everyone else in LA knows what happened. Bye Buffy." He kissed Connor and Buffy quickly and went towards Willow hoping he would get there in time to stop her.

 

As air turns,

As fire burns,

As water carries,

As earth buries may the bind to this place of death now be broken.

 

Angel reached Willow's side but instead of a small dimensional portal it had grown into a destructive force pulling everything in. He understood now the price of such a feat. After all Buffy paid it, he should have known this would be no different. He grabbed hold of Willow's jacket as she was being pulled forward. Buffy was screaming in the background with Xander who had joined her. He couldn't stop the inevitable he knew that but Willow was still doing the spell so he would hold on until she was done.

 

My blood and death to close the portal,

My blood and death to close the gateway,

My blood and death to release the binding to this place of death

 

By the elements I called this night

In the name of the Goddess and her consort the Great Horned God,

 

As I will it so mote it be.

 

Willow felt Angel grab her hand; she knew she wouldn't be able to get him to back off. It was comforting to have someone to die with even if she would have rather done it alone. At least they could both die knowing that Connor was safe.

 

Angel knew what came next. He grabbed Willow's hand and they both looked back at the people they left behind. His last thought as he and Willow jumped into the abyss was that Buffy, Xander and Connor looked good together.

 

Buffy saw Willow and Angel jump in but was too stunned to do anything. The portal closed and the night was as it should be but then that was broken by Connor's wail. She looked at Xander to find the same disbelieving expression that mirrored her own.

 

"Buffy?" Xander asked quietly as if speaking too loud would make everything they had witnessed a reality.

 

"Yeah?"

 

"She's really gone isn't she?" Buffy nodded, she didn't trust herself to speak without it turning into hysterical screams to match Connor's.

 

Xander looked back one more time before taking Connor from Buffy and trying to sooth him. He didn't know what happened next but first they needed to get the baby to the hospital and see to his needs. Buffy agreed as they walked out of the cemetery towards the hospital. She knew things were about to change for all of them once again.


	4. Part 4

After jumping in the portal both Angel and Willow held on to each other knowing this meant death. They felt as if they were in a hurricane of electricity, the pain was unspeakable it felt like they were not only being electrocuted but also pulled apart. Their corporal selves felt thin as if they didn't exist inside the portal. They felt all this in seconds as it registered they both blacked out.

 

~*~*~*~*~

 

St. Bart's Cemetery - St. Louis

 

This was Anita's last rising for tonight; she was tired and cranky and glad to be going home. She went through the motions of raising the zombie and asked the questions that the insurance company needed; the deceased answered and that was that.

 

She was the only one left in the cemetery, since as soon as the insurance guy had his answer he had left with the family of the deceased. Well, that wasn't exactly correct her bodyguards were around somewhere they had gotten good at being unseen. She didn't mind, she spent more time at the cemetery than most people it was almost like her second home in a very scary sort of way that made her think she needed to get her brain examined. She put Mr. Howards back in his grave and was getting ready to leave when she felt it.

 

"What the fuck?" She murmured to herself as she scanned the area for the disturbance. She felt the air charge up with power but it wasn't anything she recognized. Maybe it was just a natural thing and lightning was about to strike so common sense would tell her to leave but she knew that explanation had more holes in it than her house.

 

She opened her jacket taking out her browning just in case more than lightning was happening. She wasn't prepared for the boom that sounded as a white bluish thing appeared above her head. She wasn't prone to panic but that didn't look good. She cautiously moved from under it, her bodyguards were now very visible as they came to stand in front of her. They were standing off to one side when something came hurtling out of the thing. It landed with a big crash on top of Mr. Howard's grave, cracking the gravestone with the force of impact.

 

Anita didn't want to take any chance with what the hell could have caused that bluish thing or what the hell had popped out of it. She looked up to see the thing had disappeared leaving behind whatever had crash-landed on poor Mr. Howard's grave. She briefly wondered if her life was now going to be plagued by Aliens and UFO's but then her bodyguards relieved of that horror by telling her what had popped out of the thing. She knew they were good for something after all.

 

"Vampire." One said as it sniffed the air. Anita knew she could have done that too but she still hadn't gotten the hang of sniffing like that plus it made her feel like one of them and she wasn't ready to deal with that quite yet.

 

Jonah sniffed again. "Something else...it smells human but not." That's how most described her scent, she still wasn't dealing with a vampire and human not so human who traveled by bluish things that made them fall out of the sky it was too X-files for her plus vampires were Jean-Claude's responsibility. She happily got out her cell phone and dialed the Circus pleased to be able to get rid of this burden so easily.

 

"Jean-Claude." She said when he answered. She must have sounded weirder than he was accustomed to because he sighed and warily responded.

 

"Ma petite? What is it this time? Your cats in trouble again?" He sounded so resigned, Anita laughed.

 

"No nothing about me this time." She happily explained. Before Jean-Claude could inquire she continued.

 

"There's a new vampire in town with what I can only guess is his human servant." Jean-Claude was for once in his life completely speechless. How could he not have been notified of their coming? It was and insult and one that couldn't be overlooked.

 

Anita waited until Jean-Claude was done ranting in French. She could use patience after all for once it was his problem not hers or one made by her. She was only too happy to relate the where when and why's as far as she knew.

 

"They are here at the cemetery, St. Bart's to be precise. They arrived by bluish thing falling from the sky. They are currently located on poor Mr. Michael Howard's grave. They are unconscious for some reason."

 

"Ma petite if this is your idea of a joke it's not funny. This is very serious matter in the vampire community. I have never heard vampires falling from the sky. It's very poor taste to say such things Anita." Anita knew Jean-Claude was irked to use her name but she was relating the facts as she saw them.

 

"Jean-Claude I've never been accused of being a practical joker to my knowledge. This isn't a sick joke I have two witnesses that say the same thing you know them Jonah and Brian. Now you can come pick up the vampire and human servant or you can leave them here and let them wander about, it's not my problem. I'm going home and taking a bath then going to bed." Anita hoped he took her threat seriously she knew wasn't about to let them wonder about St. Louis not knowing how the hell they got here but it would be so much less of a hassle if Jean-Claude took control of the situation. She would be kept posted but wouldn't have to deal with it directly.

 

"All right Ma Petite I am sending Asher and Damian to retrieve them, they will be brought to the Circus. I will expect you to come tomorrow so you can better explain this falling out of the sky business. Could I impose on you to stay there until Asher and Damian arrive to pick up our guests." Jean-Claude said the last with disgust, he really hated when anyone threw monkey wrenches in his plans.

 

Anita agreed to wait, after all she could be generous they were taking them off her hands. It wasn't long before they arrived. The vampire and human not so human had not even stirred. They were exactly as they had landed; Anita had taken no chances with herself or her cats. Anita showed Asher and Damian to the grave after a brief but tense hello. They approached cautiously but once they determined the two were no threat they both picked up one and headed for their vehicle. Anita and her bodyguards followed making sure the two didn't wake up and start something. When they were safely in the back of the limo, Anita told Asher and Damien to be careful as she climbed in her SUV and headed home. Tomorrow she would deal with the visitors but tonight she was just going home.


	5. Part 5

One day later -Cicus of the Damned

 

Willow woke gradually one painful degree at a time. Her head felt like the drummer boy had taken residence in there for the time being. She was surprised to be alive to wake up but maybe this was just her torture. She could just imagine someone coming in here and informing her she was indeed dead at any moment. Which brought up the question of where here was. She still hadn't opened her eyes that simple movement felt beyond her at the moment. She hoped Angel was not in like the ninth level of hell or something that would be worse than anything they could do to her. It was her fault he'd gone all-heroic and decided to jump in the portal with her. She should have cast a protective circle keeping his superhero self out; not much she could do about it now. She was concentrating on breathing like Giles had taught her when she heard a voice.

 

"She's awake." Jason was nervous. Jean-Claude had stressed that it would be his ass if she escaped or anything happened to her while in his care. He looked over at Steven who shrugged he was in the same boat as Jason.

 

No shit Sherlock, she could almost hear Xander's reply keep digging Watson.

 

"What do we do? Jean-Claude's not awake for another hour." She heard them shuffling around, she didn't think she could talk but maybe if she tried the telepathy. She sent her thoughts to whoever was in the room.

 

Pain.

 

"She's in pain." Score they thought she was their conscious speaking. Jason wasn't sure how we knew that but he didn't stop and think about it either, he was just glad he had something to do while Jean-Claude woke up.

 

Thirsty.

 

"We should get a couple aspirin and some water to her." If Willow could have moved without sending pain coursing through her body she would have cackled with glee. As it was she was just too grateful when someone popped some aspirin in her mouth followed by water to wash them down with. So maybe she wasn't dead, she didn't think torture involved being nice to her. If she wasn't dead then there was a possibility Angel was alive too. In order to find Angel she needed to get healed and that involved meditating and drawing power from everything. She concentrated, blocking the drums ringing in her head, the question that were being asked, and most of all her giddiness at being alive. She pictured herself reaching down far beneath the surface of where she was laying to the earth, the dirt she traveled until she found roots and she felt herself following the root systems to the trees and plants and finally the sun and air. She took the earths energy into herself and began to heal little by little. She wished Giles could see her now, he'd be so proud.

 

~*~*~*~*~

 

Angel woke up with a start; he was confined in a box of some sort. He couldn't make anything out but he felt around and found he was in a coffin. It was too much like when he awoke for the first time, it made him panic and push on the lid with all his strength, he was surprised when the lid came flying off and he fell out hitting the floor hard. He was sore but it wasn't anything he wasn't use to. He wondered what kind of torture this was when he noticed something else.

 

He stood up slowly looking around trying to make sense of all the coffins in the room. So maybe he wasn't dead but this was bizarre even for the hellmouth. No ground to claw his way through just a room with coffins. The room itself was made of stone, which in itself was really strange. He felt other vampires in those coffins but they were asleep, which made him wonder why they had bothered to put him in a coffin. Everyone knew he was a traitor to his kind. Maybe he'd landed somewhere they didn't know about him and his curse. If he had been human he would have had a heart attack at that moment. His soul was there but he's demon was different, it wasn't fighting him for control. He still felt guilty but it didn't suffocate him as it normally did. He felt decidedly better like maybe a lot of his past killings had been taken off his shoulders.

 

He was reveling in this new improved him when he remembered Willow. He really felt bad about forgetting about her. She had risked her life to help him get Connor and he repaid her by forgetting about her. He was such a soulless bastard at times. He wondered what had happened to Willow, he didn't remember letting her so she technically had to be around here some where, then again he blacked out so he could have let her go and didn't know it. He was startled out of his brooding as the coffins began to open.

 

He didn't know if he should flee stand and fight. He positioned himself against the wall closest to the door, if they attacked they couldn't get behind him and if he needed to run he was close to the exit. He waited patiently as they all climbed out of the coffins taking in the fact that he had ripped himself away from his. Everyone froze as they found him leaning nonchalantly against the wall. He knew there were 3 master vampires in the room; couple of childer and the rest were minions. That was weird as well but who was he to say anything. A vampire with long black hair, blue eyes and a scar of a cross on his chest stepped up to Angel, he just raised and eyebrow, the vamp was powerful but he could take him.

 

"You do not bow to me? You challenge me with your insolence after entering my city without permission." Well yeah, what did he expect? Angelus didn't bow and scrape to anyone soul or not. The other two masters came up behind this one, one with red hair and incredibly green eyes, the other with the palest blue eyes Angel had encountered since Spike and gold hair that looked like it was spun gold.

 

"Look, I don't want any trouble, I'm not here to challenge you. I don't even know where here is. Last time I checked I was supposed to be dust so excuse me for intruding and the coffin. The only other vampire that uses that is Vlad the Impaler and we always made fun of him so..."Angel trailed off seeing the emotionless mask of the vampire in front just got chillier by the word. He would have loved to stay and chat some more but at that exact moment he heard Willow scream. Angel rushed out of the room not even noticing he was moving faster than he normally did. He followed the scream to a room not too far away. He broke down the door and barged in expecting to see Willow in some kind of danger but that was not the case at all. She was screeching fit to wake the dead because there was a frog in the room. She was standing on the bed screaming when she noticed his entrance she took a flying leap from the bed to his arms.

 

"Kill it, Angel." He laughed, super powerful witch Willow was deathly afraid of the little green creature. He shook his head and backed out of the room hands full of Willow who had pressed her face to his neck and was shuddering in revulsion. He noticed the vampires had followed him they didn't look happy. He shrugged for once in his life he needed to try diplomacy, they needed to find out where they were exactly and as much as he was loathed to admit it he needed his brethren to help him figure it out.

 

"Sorry, about rushing out but she screamed." Angel directed his statements to the vampire who had talked to him in the coffin room he seemed to be the leader. "Is there somewhere we can talk? I'm sure you want answers and I have a couple of questions..." The vampire nodded curtly and motioned us to yet another door. This place seemed to be made to house vampires since there wasn't a single window about the place.


	6. Part 6

Willow knew she should probably stop clinging to Angel but she hated frogs, they were icky and disgusting and *green*. She shuddered so reminding herself of why she hated frogs wasn't helping but at least she had found Angel. He didn't need to know she had found the frog outside and had accidentally made the frog come though the earth to her by absorbing some of its energy. That she would keep to herself. Actually she was also staying right were she was because she was surrounded by vampires very powerful ones. She could hear some of Angel's thoughts about them being different from the ones in Sunnydale and something about breaking rules. She figured acting the fainting violet would help her discover why these vampires felt so different from the ones back home.

 

Willow was all for acting when she noticed that Angel felt different he looked different too, she tried to telepathically communicate with him.

 

Angel. You look and feel different why?

 

I feel different. The demon isn't so strong, the guilt isn't so bad anymore I don't know why, we will figure that our later for now lets just try to stay alive long enough to talk to the Master.

 

OK. If you want me to pull some really cool mojo just think it really hard.

 

Angel shook his head and then stopped when he noticed the others watching him. He followed the vampire into the room picking the chair facing the exit, which left his back to the wall. He shifted Willow so she was sitting on his lap leaning against his chest, that way she could watch one side of the room and he could watch the other. The Master sat himself behind the desk, the other one stayed to the shadows on his right side. He had lost sight of the one with red hair, which meant he was on his left and slightly at his back. He didn't worry too much since Willow was watching him.

 

When everybody was finally situated another person walked in the room, making everybody jump. Angel was fascinated as the woman made her way behind the Masters desk and reclined against the wall she was human as far as he could tell. She was short and had this stare that reminded him of Buffy when mad. In fact except for her coloring and facial features she was much like Buffy. She wasn't beautiful by any standards but she had a very distinct appeal. Angel appreciated that in a woman.

 

"Sorry, I'm late. I got delayed." Anita was wondering why she hadn't noticed the vampire was so handsome last night. He was easier to read than Jean-Claude but he also felt more powerful than him. She bet that irked Jean-Claude to no end. He hated having stronger vampires around his city. He was very paranoid especially about this vampire, he'd never seen or heard of him before.

 

No one was speaking which made Willow nervous, she wasn't good at uncomfortable silences. She tended to babble and that they didn't need right now. She gave Angel a nudge with her elbow, he understood.

 

"I'm Angelus. This is Willow." Leave it to Angel to start with the stupid icebreakers. Guess Angel wasn't any good at conversation either.

 

Jean-Claude nodded, wondering why this vampire wasn't interested in a power struggle. The old ones usually were. This one confused him, Angelus as he called himself was stronger but he showed weakness in his care for his human servant. He needed to find out who had made him and what line he was from.

 

"I am Jean-Claude, Master of St. Louis. Anita Blake, my human servant. Asher is my second in command; Damian is one of my lieutenants. We are of Belle Mort's line." Angelus seemed to take this all in he nodded. As if that confirmed something he had been thinking. Jean-Claude hated having to play games with one such as him.

 

"So we are in St. Louis, that's not so bad." Angelus claimed out loud, Anita wondered if he was mocking Jean-Claude's power. She heard the redhead mumble something to him.

 

"Angel we are more likely in a different dimension/reality St. Louis. Portals don't transport people from one side of the US to the other." He looked sheepish and shrugged; he was after all not up on the mojo. Angel sighed realizing he had offended Jean-Claude if their glares were any indication. Willow found the vampires accent enchanting, it made his speech pretty.

 

"Sorry, I didn't mean to imply that you weren't powerful...I mean that you weren't intimidating..." Angel trailed off he knew he was just making things worse.

 

"What Angelus meant was that no insult was meant, he's not really good at conversing with anyone. Just ignore his blunder and continue doing the posturing and checking each others pedigrees." It was Angel who nudged Willow this time after she compared them all to dogs, she shrugged that's what it sounded like to her. She hadn't bothered to look up either; she had just spoken out loud so everyone could hear.

 

Anita laughed liking the girls spunk it was true in a way. Angelus was the first vampire Anita had met that committed social blunders. Jean-Claude however just nodded his acceptance; he was intrigued and infuriated by turns. Anita just leaned back and waited for the outcome, she knew Jean-Claude would kill them or ask for something for the insult either way she wasn't involved it was all Jean-Claude's mess, she was there to protect him in case things got messy.

 

"Who made you what line?" This was new to Willow and Angel both but Angel answered what he hoped the vampire was asking.

 

"I am Angelus favored Childe of Darla. Also known as the one with the Angelic face, The Scourge of Europe, That bloody bastard, and many more colorful phrases. I am of the order of Aurelius." Willow wondered how close to the surface Angelus really was, since Angel was positively gloating as he told them his pedigree. Jean-Claude couldn't believe the things this vampire claimed, there was no Aurelius on the council, he had never heard of Darla either.

 

"I do not recognize any of this." Jean-Claude knew he was ready to kill this Angelus for his deceit the only thing holding him back was the knowledge that this one was strong.

 

"You wouldn't we aren't from around here. In fact if we told you where we came from you would not believe us. My claims are quite good, in fact I would say they are a damn sight better than most, just not in this place." Jean-Claude didn't know what to believe he only knew that Angelus posed a threat to his power. If what he claimed could be believed that he was a very powerful and dangerous enemy. He was pretty enough to be of Belle Mort's line but he claimed otherwise, no vampire friend or foe did that one was generally proud of ones line.

 

Willow was fed up with acting the fainting violet she could hear the murderous thoughts flying around the room and that wasn't good. "Just tell them Angel, why torture the poor folks any more than necessary..."

 

"Cause my dear I'm an evil bastard..." Willow laughed at Angel's attempt to sound like Dracula. Angel decided to explain before he put Willow in any more danger.

 

"Jean-Claude my sincerest apologies for toying with you. We are from a different dimension/reality. We came here through a portal we opened. I am not sure of the particulars on how we ended up here instead of dieing like I mentioned earlier." Anita could almost believe this, she had seen them come thorough what they called a portal, to her it was the swirling bluish thing.

 

"This is more far fetched than telling me who made you and what line." Jean-Claude was furious, he hated when others played mind games with him. Anita placed a hand on his shoulder restraining him.

 

"Jean-Claude that is the truth, I told you they fell out of the bluish thing and landed on that grave. I wasn't kidding about them literally dropping in unannounced." Jean-Claude was somewhat mollified but he was still resentful at being beaten at his own game. Willow decided that she like the woman, she at least wasn't into the pissing contest, Angel and Jean-Claude were engaging in.

 

"Very well I accept how you came to be here." Jean-Claude accepted this since Anita had vouched for them but he'd be damned if they would stay in his city longer than necessary.

 

"It makes me feel so much better what you accept...really it does, all warm and tingly inside now." Willow muttered the sarcastic reply knowing everyone could hear it.

 

"Willow!" Angel hissed. It was one thing to play mind games it was another to be insulting.

 

"What?" She asked innocently, finally looking up from Angel's neck. She could feel all the vampires in the room including Angel glaring at her. Well, what the hell did Angel expect shed hung out with Buffy and Xander most of her life and then doses of Spike had been thrown in for good measure.

 

"You know what." Angel replied testily, sometimes he wondered why parents didn't teach their children respect for their elders.

 

Willow shrugged, she wasn't going to apologize to a vampire master or not.

 

Jean-Claude was ready to kill them both. The human was insulting the vampire infuriating and they paid him no mind. They didn't care that he was Master or that he had more power with the triumverate than they did. They were here at his mercy not the other way around. Willow caught the gist of Jean-Claude's thoughts and decided maybe she should be a good girl they weren't sure if she was just as powerful here as she was back home.

 

"Angel, I'm hungry." She whined knowing Angel was a sucker for whining.

 

Angel sighed knowing she was playing him for sap but he would do as she asked. "Jean-Claude I hate to impose on you but she needs to be fed. I am sorry for her insults she...doesn't think correctly when she had an empty stomach." Speaking of which Angel felt his hunger stir as he fondly stared down at Willow, seeing the pulse beat at her neck. Willow heard when his thoughts turned from amusement to hunger. She swallowed hard knowing that there was no other way to feed Angel here. She didn't know how these vamps chowed down and if drinking animal blood or from blood banks was acceptable and they rather not stick out more than they already did. She sent Angel reassurance as he leaned over and nuzzled her pulse point.

 

Jean-Claude was about to grant Angelus request when the vampire stopped paying attention. His focus was on his human servant's neck, the girl was slightly scared but willing to feed her master. Jean-Claude was amazed that Angelus would leave himself vulnerable to feed from her. Maybe Angelus and the girl really did come from another dimension. It would account for their intolerable behavior. Then again it could be some ploy to make him look weak. Everyone in the room froze as the girl pulled Angelus down to her neck, she whimpered slightly when he bit her. The vampires caught sent of her blood and their own hungers awakened since they had not fed at waking. Asher and Damien went to find their meal for the night, stopping to tell Jason to go to Jean-Claude.

 

Anita was disgusted at the display. She knew most human servants fed their vampire masters but she didn't. It was a point of pride with her and Richard they weren't food...ever. Her estimation of the girl went down a couple of notches; she didn't know how anyone could let vampires use them as food. She didn't understand how Angelus couldn't control himself and fed in front of everyone, most vampires fed with discretion at least when she was around.

 

Angel didn't stop to wonder why he didn't need to let his demon come to the fore he just bit Willow. In the back of his mind Angel knew he shouldn't be feeding from Willow but he saw no reason why not if she was willing. Angel was in heaven; it had been so long since he had tasted human blood straight from the vein not a bag or animal. It was deliciously warm and alive. He could taste Willow's essence and he enjoyed the freedom of it. He knew he didn't need a lot of blood from her just a pint or two. He wasn't lost in the bloodlust as he would have been before. Angel felt more in control of his demon than before. He knew Willow wouldn't mind feeding him until they found out things worked here, she had managed to send those thought feelings to him before he had bitten her. He knew when he'd taken enough and began to lap up the blood that pooled at her pulse point. She was healing rapidly, faster than an average human that was no surprise to him.

 

Willow knew being vamp chow was painful or at least it was every time a vamp tried to eat her back home, but with Angel it didn't hurt. In fact it felt very nice like if someone was giving her a major hickey but not. She would think about why she didn't feel Angel's game face later. She couldn't describe the feeling at first the slight sting but then the warmth she felt as he drank had nothing to do with pain. She shuddered when he removed his fangs and just licked where he had bitten, that felt very good in a very sexual way, which was why she pulled back from Angel and blushed as she looked around the room. They had forgotten all about their audience. She knew Angel was no longer the dark avenger he had more Angelus traits and that's probably the only reason he fed from her in public. Angelus was never one to pass up a meal.

 

"Um...still hungry Angel." Angel just hugged her to him kissed her lightly on the forehead and turned to talk to Jean-Claude. Willow snuggled closer to Angel she hated when she became the center of attention.

 

Angel was surprised to find Jean-Claude feeding from the young man that looked like he was wearing a space suit or some sort. He didn't look to be unwilling in fact he was if his expression was to be relied upon enjoying it way too much. Angel shrugged he'd heard of those types before, they got off on being fed from. He waited until Jean-Claude was done and the young man stumbled out blissfully happy before asking him about feeding Willow.

 

"Now that we got that out of the way, is there somewhere around here I can get some food for her?" Angelus asked Jean-Claude pleasantly as if they hadn't just shared a very intimate moment by feeding together. Jean-Claude nodded and got up asking Angelus and his pet to follow him. He knew Ma petite would follow when she was over her disgust of seeing the redhead feed Angelus. Maybe seeing how things were suppose to work between vampire and human servant would make Ma petite come to her senses about not letting him feed from her. His visitors had a lot to answer for and he was willing to be gracious to get the answers. Jean-Claude was nothing if not the perfect politician.


	7. Part 7

Willow was surprised to be shown to yet another room, except this one was bigger and had a kitchen. It looked like a family room of a normal house. It had a living room that was bigger than most, the entertainment system and the kitchen. Angel set her down on one of the stools so she put her head down on the kitchen bar she really was hungry. He went to the kitchen and started looking around finding whatever he was going to cook for her. That made her nervous.... Angel in the kitchen...cooking no less. That thought prompted her next question.

 

"What are you making?"

 

Angel briefly looked at her and went back to finding what he needed. "Surprise."

 

"This isn't going to be surprise Weetabix and blood is it?" Willow shuddered at the thought. Every other vampire in the room did too. Angel laughed sending little shivers down Willow's spine. She liked the way Angel looked when he laughed.

 

"So you've heard of Spike's culinary skills." Willow nodded it was hard not too, since her relished sharing them all.

 

"Well, I did try to teach him to cook but with Spike.... it was always a half lesson. Instead of learning how to make a cheese omelet he learned to make a blood omelet. He said it tasted better. I always thought he did it to annoy me and get punished but I guess he really liked his inventions. Don't worry I can actually cook, I don't eat it but I always liked the smell, Spike was the only one who ate." Angel missed his childe; he missed the punishments and the fights and everything about him.

 

Jean-Claude was taken aback at Angelus cooking for his human servant, which was simply not done. They served us not the other way around. Damien and Asher both looked confused. Anita had entered shortly after and caught the end of the conversation. She sat next to the redhead followed by both Jason and Nathaniel. The redhead was not surprise she said hello and went back at starring at Angelus cook.

 

No one said anything much for a while. Jason and Nathaniel just sniffed around the redhead, Anita, and Angelus. They found their scent fascinating. Jean-Claude was standing off to one side watching the interaction between the humans and Angelus. This could prove interesting to him. Damien had left to oversee the Circus since Asher was otherwise occupied being Jean-Claude's shadow in case anything happened.

 

"Smells good." Jason spoke breaking the silence.

 

"Yes it does." Nathaniel spoke up, Willow nodded, as did Anita.

 

"Is that the round about way of asking if I will feed you too short stuff?" Angel asked Jason. Jason grinned and nodded his head, he liked this vampire he was different.

 

"So I guess if I feed you I feed your friend as well?" Angel liked the blond he reminded him of William before the curse.

 

"He wouldn't mind. He's Nathaniel. I'm Jason. That's Anita." Angel nodded. He liked having names to go with faces.

 

"So you gonna feed us or what?" Jason was impatient.

 

Angel laughed; the blond was very much like Spike. "Yes, I'll feed you. I did this at home for my friends too, so I'm use to cooking a lot." Angel wasn't sure why he wasn't moping about home but he'd rather not dwell on it.

 

"Angel...is it done yet? I'm gonna waste away before you feed me." Willow whined knowing that Angel hated it.

 

"Now now little one, you know I could always remember Spike's culinary skills." Angel gave her his Angelus grin. She shuddered at the threat.

 

"I'll be a good girl and sit here quietly awaiting your food, Master Angelus." Willow snickered at the use of the last.

 

Anita was perplexed. On the one hand this vampire was not like any other vampire she had met and on the other she could see he was very much like any other vampire she had met. Ruthless, cold and arrogant much more than Jean-Claude. Which was what prompted her to ask a question of her own.

 

"Why did they call you the Scourge of Europe?" Anita wasn't surprised when everyone froze. The redhead lifted her head up off the bar and looked at Angelus. Jason and Nathaniel just looked confused. Jean-Claude was alert waiting for the answer.

 

"Do you have a weak stomach? If so this tale is better left for after breakfast." Angel knew he would have to share sooner or later. Willow read all about him so she knew most of it. He knew the master wanted to know as well. He didn't mind sharing he just didn't want to waste the food he had cooked.

 

Anita didn't know whether to be afraid of the horror that earned him that name or to wonder if he was just grandstanding. She wanted to know, she didn't have a weak stomach and neither did anyone else in this room.

 

"I want to know, I don't have a weak stomach." Angel knew she didn't really believe anyone could earn a name like that vampire or not. Which made him wonder what kind of vampires she lived with everyday. They must be real nancy boys, as Spike would say. He shrugged it was her prerogative after all.

 

"Our tale begins in 1753 in Galway, Ireland where Liam lived. He was a drunkard of a man, a skirt chaser, he liked women and they liked him. That was his ultimate downfall, since he followed a very pretty blond to a dark alley. She asked him if he wanted to see her world and the drunken bastard agreed with nary a whimper in protest. Her name was Darla and she turned him." Angel served everybody as he talked. He remembered these things without the disgust he usually had, it was a fondness and amusement at what a drunken bastard he had been. Willow was amused at the way Angel was telling his story, she knew that Angelus loved being the center of attention and he loved giving a good show. Everyone was listening with unabashed interest, even Jean-Claude.

 

"So the bastard went and got himself turned very willingly. He awakens and find himself thinking clearly for the first time in his whole misbegotten life and well he went a little power crazy." Willow snorted in amusement. "I admit he went a lot crazy, but just because he had been a drunkard didn't mean he was stupid in fact he was a very smart human when not drunk so he turned into a very cunning and enterprising vampire. He hadn't had a moral bone in his body before he was turned and turned well...he was even more able to be as unmoral as he wanted. He awakened and found that he was more than the sum of his parts; he was stronger and better than a mere human. His first conversation with Darla will give you a glimmer of his thoughts."

 

"You can do anything, have anyone in the village. Who will it be?" Darla told him.

 

"Any one? I thought I'd take the village." He answered this.

 

"He killed every man, woman, and child in that village with a flourish. He dismembered, gutted and generally tortured everyone saving his human family for last. His sister invited him into the house thinking her brother had been turned into an angel when in truth he was a demon but disguised as her brother. He killed his family one by one making his father watch. The man was insane by the time Liam killed him. Darla loved the vicious ruthless cunning she had found in Liam and was more than happy to show him by fucking him in the middle of this carnage." Angel smirked at Anita's disbelieving expression. Nathaniel and Jason were wide eyed, wondering how this Liam related to this vampire. Jean-Claude was wondering what he had let enter his city and stay under his roof. Asher wasn't surprised he had thought as much.

 

"That little jaunt brought about the start of a legend about a demon the one with the Angelic face. After that I was known as Angelus, I was the most vicious and cunning creature to ever roam the earth. I loved nothing more than a bloodbath especially one that included innocent maidens, babies, and children. Cute pink little babies so pure and good, they tasted like honey all warn and sticky. That was my specialty. I would sneak into orphanages and let the children think I was an angel before draining them dry. I was a right bastard. My sire and I roamed until I had a bit too much fun in South Wales and Northern England." Willow snorted in amusement Angel was one for understatement.

 

"A bit too much fun? Yeah right. More like you killed everyone in Northern England and South Wales in 1760. You were very good at being a very bad boy." Everyone gasped at Willows explanation even the vampires, it was unheard of among their kind such wanton killing. Anita knew she would kill him he needed killing. Jean-Claude had this very unsettling calculating gleam in his eye.

 

"OK so I killed everyone but the world wasn't as populated then as it was now. Hell, I don't think I killed everyone I left a couple of people to make sure my fame spread. That was the start of a wonderful career in murder and mayhem. My sire and I traveled Europe, from England to France, Italy and anything in between I became known as the Scourge of Europe. During all that time we had a crazy vampire hunter following us, his name was Holtz. I had killed his wife and infant; for good measure I vamped his youngest daughter. I wish now I had just quit trying to break the bastard and just killed him but that was not to be. He hunted me and Darla but we lost him sometime after 1771." Angel had stopped after that, quietly lost in his memories. Willow knew that was enough for tonight losing Connor for a second time was catching up with him.

 

"And that is all for tonight folks, all good vampires must...go be vampires now. Yeah so Angel the cheese omelet was delicious. It's the best I had in like forever." Inane chatter Willow could do, she was good at that.

 

"You're a murderous monster." Came the statement from Anita, she had just recovered her senses and was going into savior mode. Anita knew Angelus was evil, he had killed so many, and that was not even half of his lifetime. She didn't want to hear anymore.

 

"Well duh." Came Angelus infuriating reply, he smirked at the look on her face. He wasn't feeling like putting up with someone's moralistic outrage on his past. Been there done that paid the price in hell and then some.

 

Anita didn't even think about what she was doing she had her browning in her hand and pointed at Angelus in a blink of an eye. Willow, Jason and Nathaniel had scrambled away from the pair for different reasons. Willow because Angel had signaled her too and the others because they knew Anita was trigger-happy. Jean-Claude just stayed back watching what Angelus would do next, a test of sorts.

 

Angel tilted his head to the side and looked faintly bored. "Are you gonna shoot someone after breaking bread with them Anita?" Angelus purred. "Tsk tsk tsk, what a naughty girl." He looked disapproving and pouted ever so pretty. Angelus was always the consummate actor.

 

"You deserve to die." Anita stated she was surprised when he nodded.

 

"I'm afraid you are right, however do you think no ones tried?" Anita hadn't thought about that before pulling her gun. "What makes you think your attempt will succeed where so many others have failed? Ask Willow she can tell you I'm a hard bastard to kill." Angelus was enjoying toying with Anita she was so amusing, she smelled of death old and new but was worried about peasants 200 years dead. Humanity today was so complex.

 

"He is. Buffy couldn't and the vampire hunter Holtz is in some hell dimension for his trouble. Wolfram and Hart lost a room full of lawyers for their trouble." At everyone's blank look she explained. "Wolfram and Hart is an evil law firm back home."

 

"How can you be friends with such a monster?" Anita asked the redhead. Willow smiled and shrugged at the woman.

 

"How can you sleep with Jean-Claude when you're a vampire executioner?" Willow had read Jason's mind for that particular tid bit. Anita was surprised at the girl knowing that. She hated when people used logic against her. Angel laughed this was just too good.

 

"He didn't kill half of Europe." Jean-Claude was amused by Anita's claim; she didn't know that she had never asked about his past life.

 

"Really? How do you know? Told you about all the people he has killed has he?" Willow used her most proper tone of voice, since all she wanted to do was laugh at the silly woman. Angel was laughing so hard he was gasping for his unneeded breaths. Anita felt stupid but she still knew Angelus needed killing Jean-Claude was now where near as monstrous as him.

 

"No but he didn't kill even a third as many innocent people as Angelus." Well she had Willow there.

 

"I know. Such pansy assed vampires inhabit this dimension. Where's the fun in having willing food? Tasting their fear is the best part. Hunting them down what pleasure. Killing them slowly for amusement when bored just can't be matched by stupid mind games and power struggles." Way to dig your own grave Angel; Willow thought sourly. Jean-Claude had to hand it to Angelus his home did sound more entertaining than here, granted wanton killing didn't appeal to him but it would have been fun every once in awhile.

 

Anita shuddered at images Angelus brought up, those poor defenseless people. She couldn't let a monster like him run free, court order or not. Murder didn't have a time limit. She pulled the trigger, happy to end the monsters life.


	8. Part 8

Angelus knew what she was going to do before she did. He relished going head to head with her she was a worthy opponent more so than Buffy. He felt the pain as the bullet tore through his chest straight to his heart, which really hurt. He growled.

 

"You shot me? I can't believe she shot me. What kind of idiot shoots vampires? You call yourself a vampire executioner? What a joke." Angelus scoffed at the hole the bullet had made, it was bleeding but it was already slowing down as he healed. Jean-Claude was amazed the other man was standing; he and Asher had tried to stop Anita but had been too slow. They were standing next to her looking disbelievingly at Angelus.

 

"What... How?" Anita couldn't wrap her mind about the vampire still standing there looking for the entire world like he hadn't just been shot. True most of the time bullets didn't kill them but one to the heart definitely caused more damage than what he was displaying. He looked madder than hell not hurt in the least.

 

"Angel, why did you let her shoot you? You ruined your clothes. We don't have money to buy new ones. You are such a child at times." Willow spoke disgustedly at Angel he shrugged. Jason and Nathaniel had fled the room when Anita pulled the trigger.

 

"Well, now that we got that out of the way, you three mind if I get a little payback? I really hate being shot it hurts like hell and it makes me want to hurt the person responsible." Angel walked over to the stunned Anita leaned over and licked her, she jerked away from him. "Mmm, tastes like death and sugar plums. Makes me think of the fun we could have together. I bet you would fight to the bitter end, it would be so much fun to break you. What do you think would do it?" Angelus was circling around the three with predatory grace. He could taste her fear now but she was determined not to show it.

 

"Fucking bastard." Anita cursed at him. Both Jean-Claude and Asher were holding her back from attacking Angelus, they knew that she would die rather painfully and quickly if they let her go.

 

"Yes, we've established that my dear. Though pretty maids shouldn't have such filthy mouths. What do you think Willow? Should we cut out that very sharp tongue of hers?" Willow would have been the first to stake Angelus if he had really been out but she knew Angel was in control he just needed to prove to Anita and the other vampires that he wasn't to be toyed with.

 

"Angelus if you cut her tongue out you can't hear her scream." Willow added helpfully hoping on the bar, watching Angelus at work.

 

"You're quite right. That would be music to our ears, what do you suggest Willow?" Willow knew just what would get their attention.

 

Anita knew she had finally bitten off more than she could chew. She knew this vampire would kill them all and laugh while doing it. He wouldn't hesitate to kill every single person human or not in this circus before going on his merry way. She would be damned before she begged for her life though.

 

Jean-Claude was for once not able to think of a way to get them all free without bloodshed. He knew his glib tongue would not help; Angelus had one of his own. He could summon more vampires here to kill Angelus but that would help nothing. Angelus would kill Anita before they were even within hearing distance. He had to wait and see how this played out. He didn't open the marks for fear that they would all die if Richard came charging in here trying to save the night. He knew Anita was holding back for the same reason.

 

"We could flay her alive. In my personal experience that always makes them scream. It's so much fun, all that blood and fear. You can taste it in the air." Willow licked her lips, as if she could savor the deed itself. Angel nodded in approval before closing in and licking Asher's scarred cheek.

 

"He tastes of pain and death, like my William. Makes me all kinds of upset to see him like that. I like him...should we keep him?" Angel found that Asher wasn't afraid of death but wanted it. He could see it in those pale blue eyes the yearning to be free of the suffering of being alive or well in his case unalive.

 

Willow clapped her hands in glee as she had seen Dru do countless of times. "He could be our pet. We could play with him, teach him new tricks. Punish him when he was a bad pet. He would bleed so prettily at our tea parties. We could have picnics too." Willow knew she had gone to far with the role-playing when Angel busted out laughing. She shrugged so she'd channeled her inner Dru a bit too much; at least she wasn't channeling her inner bitch.

 

"Damn Wills you could warn a vamp before you turn into his psychotic childe. She was such a pleasure to run insane though. Should we relay the tale dear? I bet they are dieing to hear about it, maybe we could do that to her." Angelus had stalked ever closer to the three, circling them like the predator he was. He stopped in front of Anita and caressed her neck, she tried to jerk away but he grabbed her neck...hard.

 

"Careful Angelus, we don't want to break her before the fun starts." That was Willow's way of warning Angel that he was getting the psychotic gleam in his own eyes.

 

"Now let see how did I start to drive Drucilla insane...Oh yes I remember now she was psychic, she saw visions of the future. She was a very devout Catholic girl as they all were back then. So I posed as a priest and told the naive young lass that her visions were the work of Satan, from whom she was spawned, and there was no hope for her soul but to give in to evil and fulfill the Lord's prophecy. I then went to her home and slaughtered her entire family in front of her. She was such a very devout Catholic girl though. She escaped me and ran away to a convent to become a nun." Anita was ready to die trying to kill the bastard. She was glad the girl had escaped him. Angelus knew exactly what Anita was thinking which is why he took such pleasure in telling her exactly what happened next.

 

"She must have known I loved a good chase as much as the next bloke because I caught up to her and, on the day she was to take the veil too, I descended upon the convent and massacred every last nun in a multitude of ways as Dru watched. They were so tasty pure homespun sugar all devout and moral makes me hungry just thinking about them. Afterwards, I fucked Darla on her lap in celebration of breaking Drucilla. I sired Dru after seeing her quivering, and insane blubbering about stars. She made such a nice addition to our family." Jean-Claude was pissed. He could understand killing outright but such torture was something that disgusted him. It was too much like Julianna's death and Asher's torture. Even Asher seemed taken aback by such wanton cruelty. He knew Angelus was pleased at what the story had accomplished. His Ma petite was scared of this vampire, he had all but promised to drive her insane and then turn her. Jean-Claude had tolerated enough as had Asher; they were about to act when the redhead spoke.

 

"Angel, we proved our point rather nicely. I think you can stop acting the psychotic vampire now. You got everyone wishing you to damnation for your excesses and all." Angel was disappointed that they couldn't stomach anymore of his life. He rather liked them they had spunk like his humans back home.

 

"Sure ruin all my fun. It's not like she shot you." Angel stalked over and sat next to Willow. He was sulking and he knew it.

 

"Aww poor baby. He got shot...it's not like it's the first time. What is this like the 10th time or something?" Willow laughed at Angel's pout.

 

"Fifth" He mumbled. "It hurt like hell every damn time too." He added for good measure.

 

Asher was the first to regain his verbal skills. "This was all an act." He waved his arms around as to make sure they understood what all meant. "Just to prove what? That you are a crazy pair who enjoy mental torture?" Willow looked at Angel and he looked at her. They nodded effusively and smiled while doing it.

 

"Well, we where trying to warn you that we would decimate you if you tried to kill us but Anita here jumped the gun by shooting Angel and he hates being shot. So we played with her, we could have killed her but we didn't. Hell, I could have killed her with a thought or anyone else for that matter but we were the epitome of restraint and decency we even fed her. So I don't see what you are so pissy about, she started it. We finished it with a bang." Willow and Angel both nodded their agreement, even though it sounded childish out loud. They couldn't afford to be seen as weak, but the master enjoyed power and he would want them with him or out of his city. Angel and Willow both planned to make sure the Master kept them on retainer. It was the only way they could figure out what the hell had happened and what they could do.

 

"If you're worried about her mental health I can happily report that while she's fucking scared of Angel now, she wants to kill him painfully." Willow reported cheerily. Asher looked down to see Anita's face and it showed fear and determination. Jean-Claude's eyes showed that he was being himself by assessing the best way to gain more power by employing these two individuals they could be a great asset.

 

"Hey why do the vampire slayers always have that love/hate relationship with me?" Angel asked no one in particular in fact it was more of a statement than question.

 

"Love/hate relationship?" Asher asked wondering how many executioners had tried to kill him and wondering why he referred to them as slayers.

 

"Yeah, they would *love* nothing more than to kill me but *hate* the fact that they can't." Angel replied arrogantly.

 

"Must be that Irish charm of yours then." Willow replied cheekily.

 

"I resent that, I'm your Master missy." Willow giggled.

 

"Master...right and I'm the queen of England complete with accent." Angel leaned over and hugged Willow to his side, the others looked on in wonderment. How could these two change their mood so fast, from psychotic to gloating to arrogant to happy and carefree it was disconcerting to see the fluctuation of their moods.

 

"That I would pay to see." Angel replied

 

"Bloody buggers better get their acts together before that stupid bint goes and shoots up the place. Daft the chit is walking around with that thing. Who does she think she is? That bloody Rambo bloke? She's an ugly bint at that." Willow spoke all that with her best imitation of Spike's accent. Angel laughed at her antics she was the best at making him laugh. The other two vampires in the room just stared and smiled slightly at her description of Anita. All she had heard on the other hand didn't amuse Anita. She needed answers and she planned on getting them.


	9. Part 9

"So all that stuff about death murder and mayhem was all an act?" Anita saw Angelus and Willow exchange glances. Somehow she knew she wasn't going to like the answer.

 

"Depends..."Willow mumbled.

 

 

"On what." Anita demanded angrily, she hated games. Jean-Claude and Asher were wondering the truth of the tales themselves, Angelus had after all told them in a very convincing manner.

 

"You gonna shoot him again?" Everyone was wondering that too. It obviously hurt like hell but it didn't stop him so what was the point.

 

"Ma petite I advise you not try to shoot Angelus again he seems to not want to rejoin the killing spree he so favors at the moment." Angelus nodded sagely at Jean-Claude but ruined the affect by sticking his tongue out at Anita, Willow smacked him on the head for his taunting.

 

"No." Anita told them, she would kill him but that didn't mean she would shoot him to do it. She could come back during the day and do it the right way.

 

"OK then its all true. In fact there's a lot more but you got the highlights. He was such a bastard back in the day." Angel thought Willow was a bit too happy at putting the bull's-eye on his heart. Anita on the other hand looked horrified and angry by turns. He knew she was far from done with the trying to kill him thing but it would be fun to see what she came up with.

 

"I can't do this. I'm leaving." Anita knew she couldn't be in the same room with that monster without trying to put enough bullet holes in him to make a good sieve. She walked out of the circus knowing she would be back at lunchtime to finish what she had started.

 

"Was it something we said?" Angel asked in his best-shocked tone but ruined the effect by laughing like a loon alongside Willow.

 

"I do not see the humor in angering her. I do not see how you can sit there knowing she will try to kill you until she succeeds. She is not a good enemy to have." Asher had no idea why he was warning Angelus, maybe it was the way he didn't flinch at his scars or maybe their craziness was contagious.

 

"Relax pet, she's gonna feel dumber than dirt when she finds the reason I go by Angel and not Angelus now." Angel shrugged it would be fun to play with her regardless though.

 

"Why is that?" Jean-Claude asked intrigued.

 

"He snacked on a gypsy and they cursed him with a soul. So he felt all that guilt and remorse bound to make anyone go into the redemption business. He turned good atoning for all his crimes. You know the dark avenger with poofy hair and billowy coat deal. He even has the cool avenger-mobile and all." Asher and Jean-Claude were confused by the turn of events. So Angelus was Angel and he was a do gooder of the worst sort? What a shame such waste of all that lovely talent.

 

"You've definitely been spending way to much time with my Childe. Damn insolent boy but what a pleasure he was..."Angel trailed off memories of blood, sex and pain dancing in his head.

 

"Earth to Angel I left out the best part...well worst part I guess."

 

"And that would be what?" Asher asked intrigued that there could be more.

 

"Hell. He went to hell the real place everyone supposedly thinks there is. He went there. They tortured him for about 300 years could be more but there ya have it, he paid for all his sins like thrice over." Asher was astounded, Jean-Claude was wondering how anyone vampire or not could survive 300 years in hell if there was such a place.

 

"Why was he in there?" There must be a reason he had been sent there.

 

"Well, the gypsy curse had a happiness clause. If he the soul would achieve a moment of true happiness his soul would go buh bye and then the demon would be free. He did the nasty with his one true love and poof away went the soul.

The demon Angelus wanted hell on earth and it was his one true loves duty to stop him and she did but not before I returned his soul to him. The only way to close the portal was to plunge the sword through him and throw him in. She did it, it was her sacred duty after all being the slayer and all. So he got a one way ticket to hell, the good guys intervened and sent him back but not before 300 yrs had passed. Time in hell moves faster than here, he came back 6 months later but the damage had already been done." Willow had always felt it had been her fault for not doing the soul restoration sooner but she also put blame on Buffy she should have dusted Angelus when she had the chance not waited until the world was almost plunged into hell and Angelus once again had his soul.

 

Jean-Claude knew this was too far fetched to be true but if it was this vampire was very powerful to have lived through all that without going insane. Asher wanted to compare notes on torture he finally found someone who could understand what he had gone through. Jean-Claude was determined to keep these two here with him they were good people to have around.

 

Angel could see that Asher was wondering about hell, in more than a passing fashion especially about how he had lived through it unscarred. He decided he would do his best to help Asher, "You know Pet, it wasn't so bad...OKK so it was as bad as you imagine it times 100 but then I got out and I saw things differently. I was all cromag vamp, a real throw back to the stone age vampire in us all but that story we will leave for another day. It wouldn't do to pull out all my tricks in one showing."

 

"Somehow Angelus I doubt one could entirely figure you out in one showing

much less a lifetime." Asher's answer surprised both Willow and Jean-Claude. Willow knew she could feel the gayness vibe going on but they were vampires so being gay was rhetorical since they would pretty much stick it in anything. Jean-Claude was jealous of Asher's interest in Angelus even if it was only to share torture stories.

 

"I should tell Ma petite this, after all we cannot have her coming here during the day and trying to kill you at your weakest. You will stay here with me until you find a way to go home or decide to leave." Jean-Claude was already making plans to show off his new pets. Willow wondered about the weakest thing but then forgot it as she processed all he had said.

 

"Hold on there vampy boy, we have demands of our own before we agree to become part of your organization or whatever."

 

"Those would be?" Jean-Claude asked with a lift of his eyebrow.

 

"First you're paying us. I would say 10,000 a month for both of us. Let's see...we get 5,000 bonus if we get hurt or injured doing your work. I also want state of the art laptop computer with wireless internet connection and cell phones. We need a place to live, we live together by the way and then there's the food and clothes. We need half of our salary upfront and the other at the end of the month. Oh I almost forgot we need wheels and try not to get something only a vampire would drive. Sound good to you fang?"

 

"What guarantees you won't run off with my money or join my enemies?" Jean-Claude thought they were asking for less than he would have offered but he was fine with that.

 

"The fact that we don't know anyone else maybe but if that's not enough then...our word. We don't cheat our employers unless they are into the plunge the world into hell business...you aren't one of those are you?" Willow asked nervously.

 

"Non, I like it just the way it is." Willow and Angel nodded relieved.

 

"So do we have a deal?" Willow asked sticking out her hand.

 

"We do." Jean-Claude knew they would stick to their word not so much because he believed in them but because like she had pointed out they didn't know anyone else in this world, he shook her hand and Angelus' before showing them around the Circus and their rooms. They asked him about the clothes and he told them Jason had already taken care of that and he had. Angel was particularly happy to be back to wearing leather pants, Willow was glad that although she had a lot of leather in her wardrobe some of it was jeans and simple t's. Both Angel and Willow knew that they had a lot to talk about and work out but having a place to stay, clothes to wear and food was enough for now.


	10. Part 10

Willow knew it was early morning outside the bowels of the Circus; just as she knew that lying next to Angel was suppose to feel weird. She was not feeling wiggy about laying next to him though, she felt more wiggy about not being wiggy which made her in turn want Angel's thoughts on the wiggy feelings she was having about not feeling wiggy.

 

"Angel?"

 

"Yeah?"

 

"Do you feel weirdness?"

 

"Weirdness?"

 

"Yeah, I mean we are in a different dimension in the employ of a master vampire that makes Machiavelli look like a retard. I'm also not bemoaning my fate like I should be." Willow turned on her side looking at Angel. Angel had decided there was no way in hell he was ever sleeping in a coffin so they were sharing her room and bed.

 

"Well, I wouldn't call Machiavelli a retard."

 

"Angel." Willow moaned. Way to focus on the important things Angel she thought sourly.

 

"I know little one but what good would it do if we bemoaned our fate. We are here and we need to survive and the we are very good at, must be all those years of surviving the apocalyptic battles and all the people wanting to kill us."

 

"Thank you very much for the depressing thought Mr. Broody butt."

 

"Sorry. I guess we had thought we would end up dead and this is a million times better than death. I know I will miss everyone back home especially the fact that I got my son back only to loose him a second time but at least I know he's in good hands. Buffy will take good care of him as will Dawn and even Xander."

 

"For what its worth I'm sorry you lost you son a second time. I should have found another way."

 

"Don't be, there was no other way. I could have been with my son now if I had let you end your life alone but I couldn't. You fight the good fight and then you know when it's your time to step up and make a hard decision. I knew that and I chose to be here with you. It might seem like I was sacrificing myself in some attempt at more redemption but truth was I couldn't let you pay the price for it alone."

 

"But we can never go back and I doubt anyone back home will try to find us. I mean Buffy might love us but she is not going to let someone use her sister's blood again. So we are well and truly stuck here."

 

"It could be worse we could have ended up in some demon dimension at least in this one we fit in a weird way." Willow murmured her agreement, thinking about something else entirely.

 

"Spike."

 

"Huh?" Angels answered stupidly confused by the change of subject.

 

"You forgot Spike."

 

"I forgot Spike?"

 

"Angel you are dense at times. He will also take care of Connor. In fact I'm betting Spike and Dawn will be the kids primary caretakers. Buffy and Xander have jobs. Spike will love the kid because he's part of you and he still got it bad. He also has the chip and nothing better to do" Willow knew Spike would kill her...well try if she made him out to be a pansy.

 

"I can see that. He was always the strangest vampire but I loved him as much as my demon was able, it wasn't enough for Spike but that was all the demon had to give." Angel was saddened at the thought at never exchanging verbal quips with Spike; it was always entertaining if not hazardous to his health.

 

"Ready to dissect my spell and learn how the hell we ended up here instead of deader than dirt?"

 

"Already did. In the spell you bound us to the graves and then released us from the place of death, which is why we landed in a cemetery you were inconsistent with the wording. The why we didn't die is because in your spell you said with "my blood and death I close the portal" well when we jumped in you where still bleeding and I am dead technically speaking. For only your death you have to specific like "my death". How we ended up in this dimension I haven't a clue." Willow was starring at Angel in wonderment, so when he got quiet he didn't necessarily start with the brooding but with the thinking she would have to remember that in the futureit could come in handy.

 

"Ha your not as dumb as you look." Angel glared at Willow she laughed.

 

"I am your Master."

 

"Pfft, riiiiiight. Seriously though as soon as Frenchy turns over my Laptop I have to make myself an Identity and find about the stuff in this world if we plan on living here. I mean we work for Frenchy but he might decide we are expendable at any time. I know he fears what would happen should you get loose in his city but how long will that keep him? No we have to be prepared and hope that the basics still function in this reality/dimension."

 

"We could always seduce them." Willow's eyes widened at that.

 

"Riiiight, and get that Anita woman more pissed? Don't think so Timmy. We should keep our hands off the people, vampires, and whatever else here for the time being." Angel sighed.

 

"I want to try out...I mean...never mind." Willow completely understood where he was going.

 

"You changed when we came through the portal, you are a vampire from this dimension so your soul curse wouldn't matter since they have souls...or something close to it."

 

"Yeah." Angel sounded despondent even to her ears.

 

"You just want to screw that Asher guy. Shame on you...you obviously never learn. Blondes with blue eyes are always your downfall. You stay away from him, since he's the master's spank monkey. Go try out your new can fuck status on...the red haired vampire."

 

"Not my type." Angel grumbled wondering why he wasn't embarrassed to have this conversation with her.

 

"You mean not blond with blue eyes and in obvious need of saving."

 

Angel chuckled. "That too."

 

"Ok how about Jason? Although I don't know if he likes the grass on the other side, he might the way he was dressed. Did you see that pornographic space suit he had on? Talk about painted on and see through. He must be a very firm believer in if you have it flaunt it very loudly in flashing neon lights."

 

"He's...I don't know attractive but its too blatant I like subtle, but I would do him...I guess. Aren't you supposed to be gay anyway?"

 

Willow grinned. "Dear boy, I might be gay but I'm not dead. Anyway who said I only went for girls. Jason was a damn nice piece of ass as was everyone else in the room but I'm not wanting to sleep with any of them." Angel just arched an eyebrow. "All right I admit I would want to sleep with them but after sleeping with them I would feel *extremely* dirty, cheap, and used."

 

This time it was Angel who grinned. "Hmm right dirty, cheap, and used got it..."

 

"All right fine make me say it. I would love be fucked eight ways from Sunday by anyone in that room, however I wont be enjoying hide the salami with anyone until I know exactly who belongs to whom. After thought my gayness not to be mentioned in front of anyone I shudder to think who the vampire will send to try and seduce me."

 

"You're not worried about who he will send to seduce me?" Angel asked amused.

 

"Nope, you would probably end up seducing them. Anyway you know how to think with your head not your penis. You also want to fuck anyone just to test out your new status so why let Frenchy's machinations go to a complete waste."

 

"Thanks...I think."

 

"Your welcome. Now sleepy time. I'm beat and I'm guessing you are too I mean you did get shot and all."

 

"Good Night little one." Angel murmured as Willow snuggled into his side using his shoulder as her pillow. He leaned over and kissed her forehead lightly, she sighed. Angel knew he had no better ally to be stuck in this situation with. He was himself for once since he had started on the road to redemption. She knew *him* the real him not the washed out version everybody else knew. She would have given up her life to save his son she was a treasure. He could talk to her and she wouldn't judge him, she wasn't amazed or disgusted at him wanting another vampire a male one at that. She found no fault with him wanting to screw someone, she understood him and that was why he would protect her with his life and be grateful to call her friend.


	11. Part 11

Angel was a light sleeper, he had to be when someone was always trying to kill him and they never particularly cared whether he needed rest or not. He awoke at the slightest noise, instantly alert and ready to defend himself should there be any need of it. Which was why he was confused that sometime during his sleeping and waking Willow had climbed on top of him. She was sprawled, arms and legs spread, just like a blanket, her head pressed under his chin, and every female part of her nicely placed against him, very closely against him. Angel left his eyes closed savoring the feel of her body at the same time he cursed his own. He hadn't even felt her move to that position, would probably not have awaken if he hadn't heard someone breathing ten feet away.

 

Angel tensed as he recognized he had in fact awoken because of a reason. He didn't know whom it was but the fact that they were quietly in the room didn't bode well. He could only think of one person who would be here and he was surprised and angered at the fact that she would try to kill him while he slept. The only reason he was not dust was because Willow had taken post as his blanket. He didn't know if he should wake Willow up or try to disarm Anita on his own. He figured that Willow would be his best bet for survival, since he couldn't see what kind of weapons she had and couldn't determine who it was exactly without giving away the fact that he was awake. He figured mind-calling Willow would be his best bet.

 

Willowâ...Willow...Willow

 

Hmm...Came the faint reply in his mind.

 

Willow there is someone in our room; I don't think they have breakfast in mind either.

 

Angel it's not even sunset yet...why the hell aren't you asleep?

 

*Someone is in our room. * Angel hoped his mind growled reply came through loud and clear.

 

*You've got to be fucking kidding me. * Willow raised herself off Angel making sure she still covered him to not allow any shots while looking around. She couldn't see shit and she was still sleepy and that pissed her off.

 

"Lights." She commanded and they turned on, she saw the culprit now and wanted to strangle her. Anita Blake was going to wish she hadn't interrupted Willow's sleep or tried to kill her friend.

 

Anita was no dummy, she knew she had been made and would have made an escape except she saw Angelus was awake. He was not a corpse like Jean-Claude but awake during the day completely animated as he was at night. She could see his eyes taking in his surroundings and his hands tightening over the redhead. Anita was temporarily blinded as the lights turned on at the redhead's command, which was why she failed to see the danger she was in until it was too late.

 

Angel could feel Willow's power like a force field around her, he pitied Anita for being so impulsive and waking his friend up, she wasn't at her best when someone awoke her before sunset...obviously. He was glad Anita's blunder had given him that insight he would have hated to be in her shoes...ever.

 

"Dammit, are you stupid woman? Did Frenchy not explain to you about Angel or are you that stubborn? You know what? I don't care; you just don't wake someone up before they even have a whole 10 hrs of uninterrupted sleep that is just wrong. Further more you don't play assassin with your boyfriends employees especially in the underhanded go behind your back kind of way. Now I am going to tell you this once and let it be the LAST DAMN TIME YOU TRY TO KILL ANGEL OR YOU WILL FIND YOURSELF TURNED AND LOONIER THAN DRUCILLA!"

 

Anita knew she should keep her mouth shut but when had prudence ever taken precedence over her mouth? Never, so why start now. "I don't fucking care what you say and Jean-Claude isn't my keeper." She faced off against the redhead knowing that she was stronger than a mere human servant, which was why she wasn't prepared for the power that was unleashed.

 

Willow was over pissed she had reached new heights in anger, the ones that usually lead to temporary insanity and crimes of passion. She knew she would do something permanent to Anita if she heard the woman speak again so sowed her lips shut. Willow knew she was glowing and floating above Angel now but seeing Anita's horrified look as she tried to open her mouth and speak wasn't enough. She thought of sending her to Antarctica but figured Frenchy wouldn't go for that. She came up with just the thing though.

 

"Hmm...you don't seem to understand words so maybe actions are more your speed. Now let me show you a small insight into what will happen to you should you ever threaten Angel or me again implied or otherwise." Willow thought it a fitting punishment.

 

Anita knew she had fucked up in underestimating her opponent. In fact she knew that the amount of power the girl wielded was nothing short of god like. In fact from what she could feel the power though cold wasn't dead it was alive. Anita panicked when her lips were sewn together, she knew what had happened because she felt her lips with her hand but not because she had recollection of it happening. Whatever this girl was she meant business and whatever she devised wouldn't be good. It was her fault for letting down her guard on the basis that this girl was not only young but also at times child like.

 

"Freeze. Chains. Gag. Open. Float. Go." Angel was amazed at how the things she commanded seemingly did her will by thought alone. Anita froze and chains wrapped themselves around her form, she was gagged instead of her lips being sewn together. The door flew open and Anita floated down the hallway at an amazing speed. Angel didn't know where she had been sent but wherever it was wouldn't be fun for her.

 

~*~*~*~*~

 

Anita felt everything rush by in a blur. She couldn't move and even if she could the chains would definitely hold her. The gag prevented her from crying out for help, which left her with no fucking options but to see where the redhead was sending her. She knew that those could not live in her city, they had rubbed each other the wrong way one to many times for civility and they scared her and that was never good. She should be happy that there was still someone out there that was more frightening than her but the thought gave her little comfort. Maybe she had grown to like her scary status but whatever the reason Jean-Claude would need to get them out of the city. She almost had a coronary when she came to a sudden stop in front of the coffin room. The door opened seemingly by itself and she floated slower this time inside.

 

This isn't so bad Anita thought to herself before she came to rest in front of a coffin. She was getting nervous, starring at the coffin. It opened and Anita was relieved to find it empty, only to gasp in horror as she was laid gently into it. She tried to open the marks to Richard but the girl was blocking that too. She couldn't be put into that coffin, she tried to struggle but other than her eyes nothing moved. She was hyperventilating as the lid was shut. She was essentially buried alive and the thought made her crazy. She hated dark confined spaces; she was breathing raggedly and her silent screams echoed in her mind. She didn't think she would survive this torture.

 

~*~*~*~*~

 

"Willow?" Angel asked cautiously since her eyes were closed and she had the cruelest smile playing across her lips.

 

"Don't worry I only put her in your coffin, until they awaken and get her out. Be glad I didn't kill her. Now I'm going back to bed." Angel was surprised to find himself thrust back onto the bed on his back; before he could blink Willow was once again in the same position she had awakened in. Apparently he was the pillow and that was that. She snuggled closer and sighed, Angel knew having her in that position was going to rival any torture in hell. He sighed knowing that he wouldn't move and maybe he would get to go back to sleep if he was ever able to get his body back under controlled.


	12. Part 12

Jean-Claude awoke wondering what trouble his new pets would stir up today. He knew those two would be cause for much entertainment because they had good intentions. Like many said the road to hell is paved with good intentions and they were just chuck full of those…most of the time, the other times were spent contemplating torture but then again everyone had their quirks.

 

"Mon ami? Pourquoi y a-t-il un battement de coeur provenant de la chambre des cercueils?" (Mon ami? Why is there a heart beat in the coffin room?)

 

"Je ne sais pas. Peut-Ïªtre un des shifters a dÏ©cidÏ© de jouer Ï cache-cache encore. La derniÏ¨re fois, un Ï©tait cachÏ© dans l'armoire, un autre sous le lit, un derriÏ¨re le bureau et un dernier derriÏ¨re la commode, je crois." (I don't know. Maybe the shifters decided to play hide and seek again? Last time one was hiding in your closet, under the bed, desk and chest I believe.) Jean-Claude glared at Asher, he would have to let the shifters know that the coffin room was off limits like his room and office for this childish game they played.

 

"Regarde qui c'est et envoie-les dehors. Je vais aller chercher Jason. Il n'y a pas de doute ; il doit Ïªtre dans l'armoire de quelqu'un pour masquer son odeur. Il n'est pas seulement beau ; il a aussi une cervelle. Il prÏ©fÏ¨re seulement ne pas l'utiliser si elle ne lui profite en rien." (Check who it is and send them out, I'll be out searching for Jason no doubt he is in someone's closet masking his scent with somebody else's. He's not all looks, that one actually has a brain just doesn't like to use it unless it involves payback for him.) Jean-Claude was trying to smell Jason out when he was stopped my Asher's soft curse.

 

"Qu'est-ce que c'est?" (What is it?)

 

"Anita."

 

"Merde." (Fuck.) Jean-Claude rushed back to Asher's side. Anita was a mess, she was mumbling nonsensical things about angels and devils and witches. He could smell the dried tears on her cheeks. She was bound and gagged, with chains no less.

 

"Comment ceci a-t-il pu arriver? Pourquoi personne ne l'a aidÏ©? Rassemble tout le monde dans la salle de rÏ©union. Je veux des rÏ©ponses. Je prendrai

soin d'Anita et je te rejoindrai lÏ -bas." (How could this have happened? Why didn't anyone help her? Gather everyone in the meeting room I want answers. I will take care of Anita and then meet you there.) Jean-Claude broke Anita's chains, took her gag off and gently picked her up and headed for his rooms. No one must see her this way. He murmured platitudes hoping they would reassure her. He stripped off her clothing and bathed her, something she had never allowed him to do he put her in one of his shirts and laid her down on his bed hoping sleep would bring her back to herself. While Jean-Claude did all this Anita offered no help or resistance. He would get to the bottom of this, no one was allowed to hurt his Ma petite.

 

~*~*~*~*~

 

Angel heard someone knocking on the door and went to answer it since Willow was still getting dressed. He found a very alarmed Jason, who was fidgeting like he hadn't gotten his fix of drugs yet. Angel just raised an eyebrow in inquiry, he'd learn people talked more when you didn't.

 

"Jean-Claude called a meeting, he wants everybody there…he's really pissed off as is Asher and all the other vampires. I mean you're the first I've seen who hasn't hissed at me and called me a coward. I have no idea what's going on but you should hurry to the meeting. Richard is coming too and that's always bad." Jason having delivered his message left with haste, he didn't know what the hell had happened but he had a feeling Jean-Claude was out for blood particularly shifters blood.

 

Angel knew this had something to do with what had happened to Anita. He hadn't asked and Willow hadn't volunteered information on why she put her in the coffin but by the looks of things it was pretty bad. He turned around only to find Willow's knowing smirk.

 

"I gather you heard?" She nodded.

 

"I dressed for the part. Whoever shopped for me really is into leather and dog collars."

 

"Guess this answers the question of is your mojo still working." Angel stated inanely he had nothing better to add since he wasn't feeling particularly guilty over whatever Willow had done to Anita.

 

"You should change shirts. Make it the blood red silk shirt more Angelus-y and then we would be matching." She looked over Angel taking in the leather pants, boots and blue silk shirt he decided to wear this evening. Willow knew he was OK with what she had done but if they expected to survive the master's wrath they needed to dress the part that was why she was wearing a red leather halter-top with black leather pants and a spiked dog collar as jewelry. The combat boots completeled the ensemble nicely. Angel did as she bid going as far as getting their coats black leather jacket for him and vinyl duster for her. Willow smiled her appreciating as they set out put yet another fire out.

 

~*~*~*~*~

 

The meeting room was a massive room, which could only be descried as the throne room. Everyone was packed in, no chair except for the throne which Jean-Claude was sitting in. Asher, Damian, and the other lieutenants or whatever were standing around the front of the room closest to the throne. Angel and Willow were nonchalantly leaning against the wall in the back of the room. From what they could gather they were waiting on Richard a werewolf but not just any old wolf but the king or werewolves. That title just sounded like one of those movies the Sci-Fi channel always had on to Willow but then again she was from another dimension maybe that was really cool here or something. After another few moments this Richard guy showed up because the crowd parted and let him go uninterrupted towards the front of the room. He was tall, had long dark colored hair and was very seriously pissed about something. Angel gathered that from the aggressive walk he had going for him and the seemingly unnoticed predatory grace that executed it.

 

Willow knew she would have to do some fast talking to get out of this mess but damn it that stupid woman had started it, trying to kill Angel even after

Jean-Claude had told her about everything. This just wasn't her night; hell it hadn't even been her week or last couple of months for that matter. She was starting to think that someone up there really hated her on a very personal level, probably because she had tried to end the world but really enough was enough. She was brought out of her mental musings when Jean-Claude addressed the masses…she almost giggled at the thought.

 

"You're all here at my behest, I am not pleased with what I have found out about the security of the Circus during the day. Someone was able to get past my guards and without anyone finding out. This person or persons walked into the circus undetected all the way to the coffin room where I rest during the day. I ask myself how my security could let this happen? Unless it was an inside job. I despise nothing more than traitors." After his pronouncement you could literally hear a pin drop in the room. Willow knew she couldn't let him keep going on like he was giving a bloody state of address. Next thing she knew he would be advertising Angelus talents to the poor scared population of the circus and then watch out there would be no end to the death threats.

 

"Jean-Claude if you will let me tell you what happened." Willow spoke up she didn't need to speak louder than she normally did. Everyone immediately turned around and made way for her to move to the front of the room, she didn't hurry she walked calmly and seductively towards the front, knowing Angel was doing his own version of walking well stalking is more the term but who cared about that now.

 

"You know what has happened." Willow nodded even though it wasn't a question. She was standing in front of Jean-Claude with Angel at her back to the right a bit.

 

"I would have told you sooner but you called this meeting and well I hate getting all dressed up and no one to show off for." Willow pouted at the last. She knew Frenchy was suspicious of her and Angel already since he didn't look away from her.

 

"What happened?" Jean-Claude asked tersely, he already knew the answer but was hoping a foolish hope he knew but maybe it hadn't been her and Angelus.

 

"You might want to get everybody to disperse back to their duties since…" She shrugged it would more than likely get messy and everyone behind her would be more of a hindrance to him than an asset. He understood and ordered everybody out.

 

"I am not one of your lowers to be ordered about like them. I am staying I have as much right to hear this as anyone else in this room." Willow and Angel were surprised to hear the werewolf argue with Frenchy as an equal no less.

 

"Very well Monsieur Zeeman but you will not like what you hear... Please continue Ma Cherie." Jean-Claude knew having Richard here would just confuse things more, since he was even more of a good guy than Anita.

 

"Well do you want long version or the short?" Willow knew this was not the time to tease but she couldn't help herself the testosterone in the room had been elevated by this Mosir Theeman or whatever.

 

"Short." Jean-Claude gave an unnecessary sigh at her delay.

 

"OK then I did it."

 

"Did what?"

 

"Anita and the coffin."

 

"You? Truly?" Jean-Claude was incredulous and angry all at once. These two were turning out to be more trouble than they were worth even if they looked very nice all dressed up. He had always liked his women and men decked out in leather the tighter the better.

 

"Yup, she woke me up trying to kill Angel and it pissed me off." Everyone was looking perplexed especially the Mosir Theeman. Willow decided to explain. "What pissed me off was being woken up, trying to kill Angel well…someone's always trying to do that and normally he could take care of it himself but he's sleeping with me and well she woke me up. She shouldn't have been trying to kill him anyway, you called her…right?" Jean-Claude nodded, he knew these two would bring trouble but then Anita brought tonight's trouble down on herself in a way.

 

"So you tied her up, gagged her, and threw her in a coffin?" Mosir Theeman asked. Willow nodded warily he had the weirdest gleam in his eye. Everyone was definitely in different states of surprise and shock when he started laughing.

 

"Is he always like this?" Angel asked Jean-Claude. He had figured this guy would be trying to kill them not laughing.

 

"Non, he would be the first to demand your death. I do not why he is laughing." Jean-Claude was wondering if maybe the strain of the past 8 months had finally cracked the Ulfric.

 

Richard was enjoying this moment too much to bother hiding his amusement. This was a perfect MasterCard moment, it was priceless, and he wished he could have been here for the show. He finally got himself under control and was able to talk without busting into another bout of laughter.

 

"If I told her once I told her twice she would run into someone who wouldn't appreciate her shoot first ask questions later method but would she listen to me no. It's just too bad I wasn't here to see that. Anita Blake vampire executioner extraordinaire was brought down by waking you up trying to shoot your vampire." Richard stepped forward and hugged Willow, and shook hands with Angel. They were just as confused as everyone else. "Jean-Claude I like them, you should really keep them. Oh yeah don't worry about Anita she is nothing if not resilient. Shell be back to trying to kill someone before you know it." The Ulfric added the last as an after thought. With that Richard walked out of the throne room, happier to have answered Jean-Claude's summons than he had ever been. When life gave him the Anita lemon there was no way in hell to make lemonade but maybe with these two he could learn to add sugar.

 

Everyone just watched as the Ulfric left, with what appeared to be a blissful expression on his face. Angel and Willow decided that they like him on the spot. It was nice to know someone else didn't appreciate Anita.

 

"Well, that was different. We have never been thanked for mental torture before have we?"

 

"No can't say we have but there's a first time for everything I guess." Angel replied smirking he enjoyed being thanked more than necessary.

 

"So we about done here then? I want to go out and have a little fun."

 

"Non we are not almost done here. You have damaged Ma petite's mind somehow. She is not…well."

 

"Chill out she's fine just a bit traumatized be glad she isn't dead I hate being woken up."

 

"You overstep yourself. You are here at my pleasure and will continue to be here only as long as I choose. This transgression goes beyond anything anyone has ever dared. She is my human servant if she dies I die and I take that very seriously." Huh. That was new and not boding well for them.

 

"Fine, we apologize for traumatizing the little bitch, however in the future you should keep her on a leash." Willow knew that was as far as her graciousness would spread.

 

"She is not a dog to be kept on a leash." This from Asher who had just watched the proceedings silently until now.

 

"Maybe so but if she tries to kill me or Angel again there will be no more warnings. Keep her on a leash or she dies it's that simple or you can make it as hard as you want. If you have a problem we can leave. I'm sure we can find someone who wants our services and doesn't have people trying to kill us." Willow knew she had made her point and Jean-Claude wasn't stupid enough to let them become hired guns to some other master. Jean-Claude nodded and dismissed them with a wave of his hand. Asher followed them out and spoke as they walked towards the door; Willow was still planning to see some of the city before Angel had to get in doors.

 

"You walk a fine line by pricking his ego and temper. He likes power but he is ruthless in attaining it. Make no mistake that if you try to leave he will kill you; it matters not to him if he loses every single subject in the attempt. In the future I suggest you come to him with complaints on Anita not take care of it yourself, he will not tolerate her hurt physically mentally or otherwise." AS soon as he was done talking he vanished back into the bowels of the circus.

 

"He is right Willow, we have to be careful here." Angel stated.

 

"Yes it would suck to get here and die after not dieing before."

 

"We will have to tread lightly with Anita, hope she stirs up no more trouble. WE have to fit in here Asher is right the master will not let us go. He is powerful in his own right and not all comes from him."

 

"I have sensed this too. For now lets just enjoy this preternatural circus and find you a willing meal I don't feel like donating tonight. I'm also hungry." Angel nodded and hand in hand they walked the circus laughing at all the preternatural stuff people paid to see. They met some of the shifters that worked here as well as the lesser vampires. They were very human except for their obvious extras but for the most part human. Maybe they had finally found somewhere they could belong if they could only get along with Anita. Maybe some flowers and candy type apologizing was in order, Willow would wake up early to deal with that tomorrow.


	13. Part 13

Angel was at a loss on what to do tonight. Willow had received her new laptop and was currently doing whatever one did on those things. He was actually jealous of that orgasmic expression on her face when Jason came in with the infernal machine. Even Jason had noticed her love for the damn thing. By the time Angel had dressed Willow was still in her pj's looking for the entire world like she wasn't planning on doing much more than sitting in the room all night playing with her new toy, which left him at odds. He had gotten dismissed with a mumbled "go kill something" when he had pestered the redhead on what they were going to do tonight. Angel wandered into what everyone here referred to as the family room. He was surprised when everyone got really quiet.

 

"Umm...Hi, I'm Angel." Everyone kept starring at him, which made him nervous, which caused the Angelus in him to come out and play. "Well, I haven't been able to look at my reflection in 250 years but by your stares I must still be one very good looking bloke." Angel sauntered into the room all eyes following him. He saw someone he recognized, Nathaniel he thought was the guys name.

 

"Nathaniel…right." The boy nodded. Angel wanted to take him into his arms and comfort him for some reason must be the eyes and all the hair. Angel pulled Nathaniel up from his chair and put his hands on either side of his face looking deeply into his eyes.

 

Nathaniel was scared of Angelus since the incident and rumors about Anita. The vampire everybody gossiped about wasn't the same one who had fed him and Jason before. Which was why he was scared to have Angelus touching him, he knew Anita would disapprove and he liked the cruel stories about him a little too much.

 

Angel stared deeply into the boy's eyes not really knowing why but he was looking for something. He finally saw it; it was the same look he had seen in his own pictures. The broken caged look that could be seen lurking behind whatever expression he wore. Angel knew Nathaniel was a shifter he could see the beast behind his eyes wanting out. Angel knew someone had broken Nathaniel and never bothered to put him back together you could feel it and smell it on him.

 

"You're a shifter. What kind?"

 

"Wereleopard." Nathaniel spoke softly. Angel nodded, knowing he would also help fix the leopard as best he could. Everyone was amazed at the care Angelus was taking with the leopard but maybe it was another one of his sadistic games they couldn't know and none of them were alpha enough to interfere. So they would watch him and if anything didn't look right they would get Jason and he would in turn tell Jean-Claude.

 

"Do you mind if I sit here with you because Willow has kicked me out of the room. She is currently engrossed in that infernal machine she got from Jean-Claude. She told me and I quote why don't you go kill something and quit bothering me" Angel knew he had said something bad when everyone went back to the quiet starring and Nathaniel tensed in his grip. "That came out wrong. I mean she said that but it was to get me out of the room not because I'm actually going to go kill something. You guys really need to lighten up. I mean yes I'm a vampire but that doesn't mean I'm going to be all kill everything all the time. I mean I won't deny liking torture as much as the next evil bastard but I only torture those that deserve it not innocent people. Plus I happen to like this cat's eyes and hair." Angel didn't explain more just sat where Nathaniel had been sitting and pulled the leopard down on his lap.

 

Nathaniel was confused most vampires didn't explain things or care what others thought; then again this vampire cooked and didn't mind feeding others. He was surprised when Angelus laid his head down on his chest and freed his hair of the braid.

 

"Looks better down. Plus I like running my hands through it. Reminds me of Willow’s hair except yours is a different color red than hers. So I'd like you to tell me about the stuff here. We are kind of new to the area and I would like to know about everyone who lives here before I accidentally go somewhere that is detrimental to my health don't you think?" Angel asked the now relaxed guy practically purring on his lap. Guess cats were cats no matter what kind or size. Nathaniel nodded and started telling him about everything he thought important to know about the preternatural community and a couple of observations he had made on his own.

 

Angel asked all the pertinent questions and listened carefully to Nathaniel's observations they were good and accurate since everyone always overlooked the weaker of any species therefore they forgot to be wary of them. Angel was confounded on all the stuff that went on in this one city. He was almost blown away by hearing of a church for vampires and laws for them too. He laughed aloud at knowing he had a right to vote, if he had been a vampire born in this country or became an American citizen. He could like this dimension a lot by that thought alone, he would never vote but he got a kick out of knowing he could. Strangely enough he was no longer just petting Nathaniel but a whole pack of shifters they had quietly crept up him and Nathaniel. Angel didn't mind they were like puppies and kittens well he thought that's what pets would behave like if he had ever had any. They were curled around his legs and everywhere else for that matter. Some gave their opinions on what Nathaniel was saying or something completely unrelated but they weren't distrustful of him anymore.

 

~*~*~*~*~

 

Asher was surprised when he couldn't find any of the shifters around the normal places. He went looking for them and almost laughed at comical sight that greeted him. Apparently they had found a better place to congregate tonight at Angelus feet and lap and anywhere they could reach. He was amazed the vampire had allowed that but then again nothing about this vampire should surprise him he was very different from them all.

 

"Angelus."

 

"Asher." Angel looked up at his name and nodded a greeting to the vampire.

 

"Seems dinner's on you." Asher was never one for stupid jokes but this was too good an opportunity to pass up.

 

Angel grimaced and looked down then laughed. "Seems like it, although I think there a couple of them that I missed…I'm sure." Asher shook his head, no all the shifters living at the Circus were in fact in this room, except for Jason.

 

"Sorry, I got kicked out of my room and came here and then this happened."

 

"Ma Cherie kicked you out of her room? Really? The Master Angelus got kicked out? I couldn't have foreseen it." Angel growled and laughed.

 

"Well, apparently the machine was better company that I was. She was practically drooling when Jason delivered it. Ha, see Jason's missing." Which was probably why he chose to walk in at that moment.

 

"Well why didn't anyone tell me there was a party? I would have rather been in here than hearing Anita and Jean-Claude argue. Well its more entertaining to see them argue but it can be dangerous." Jason smirked and threw himself in the pile of shifters making his way to Angel's side.

 

"I stand corrected." Angel said sheepishly from the couch.

 

Asher wondered how Angelus could be so lively without his demons haunting his every waking step. He was walking towards the door when Angelus stopped him.

 

"Asher. Stay, you can come sit next to me." Asher was more than tempted but he didn't turn around he shook his head and left. He couldn't see the disgust the shifters would display over his scars.

 

Angel was disappointed when Asher left. He looked at Jason quizzically here was someone who would know why Asher had left.

 

"He doesn't like anyone looking at his scars. He's very pretty and the only reason we look is because of his beauty but he thinks its disgust and so he holds himself away from everyone." Jason was serious for as long as it took him to say this then he licked Angel's cheek. "You taste good. Not like death but something else." Angel had a feeling if he didn't say something everyone else was going to start licking him.

 

"Ok but everyone will take your word for it I don't want to be licked by however many of you there are." Everyone agreed but they weren't gracious about it.

 

"So how come your here covered in us instead of holding court at the club or something."

 

"Holding court?"

 

"Yeah, the vamps here usually wake up eat…well drink one of us then head out to one of Jean-Claude's clubs and let mortals fawn all over them." Angel shuddered at the picture Jason painted.

 

"I don't like clubs and I certainly don't like being fawned over by humans."

 

"Huh, well that's a first. So did you really make Anita cry?" Leave it to the blatant one to ask all the questions everyone was afraid to ask.

 

"No I didn't." Jason was disappointed he had wanted this vampire to be the one to make Anita look almost human.

 

"Bummer. Oh well guess it was someone else then. Want to jump Asher's bones do ya?" Angel's mouth dropped open before he closed it with an audible snap. How the hell had Jason picked up on that? His conversations were everywhere one could almost think he was the energizer bunny on crack.

 

"What gives you that idea?" That was a neutral answer. Doesn't give away anything by denying or agreeing to the charges.

 

"We can smell it. So how you going to manage getting into, the most saintly vampire when it comes to carnal desires pants? Well except for that bout of torture with Narcissus he's saintly but I doubt he did more than torture Narcissus into coming the hermaphrodite really loves his pain and torture sex. Probably got off on seeing Asher's scarred half and the regular side he's a sick freak that one." Jason was surprised by the angry glint in Angelus eyes. So he had hit a nerve had he? This was going to get interesting. Angelus by the looks of things was getting ready to go out and really get Narcissus off by probably torturing him to death, which suited Jason just fine he never liked him anyway.

 

Angel growled louder the more he heard about Asher and Narcissus. He didn't like anyone touching Asher in any way; that was his pleasure. Even if he had only been here 3 days Asher felt his, it was just a matter of when. He calmed down a bit when the shifters started petting him instead of him petting them.

 

"Asher likes torture?" Angel didn't mind it but all the time was a bit much, sometimes-vanilla sex was just as nice.

 

Jason shrugged. "No idea like I said since he's been here he doesn't do sex. He tortured Narcissus because it would bother Jean-Claude and Narcissus expected something back for Richard injuring him and no one was willing so Asher volunteered but I don't really think Asher is into torture sex. He's not the friendly sort, but I can tell you his bite is very sexual indeed makes you come when he bites."

 

Angel was angry and jealous; for a vampire that didn't have sex he sure did spread it around. "You know this how?" Angel asked tersely

 

"Don't get your panties in a twist Angelus. That's one of his powers to give pleasure with his bite. Jean-Claude can take your mind when he bites but the bite itself does not give pleasure. Don't you have some really cool Jedi mind power too?"

 

"If you say the vampires here get them, then yes I probably do but what do I have not a clue. Want to be my test monkey?" It was Angelus' turn to smirk.

 

"Well, that would be nice but I'm immune to vampire tricks since I'm a shifter have my own otherworldly energy going on I'm also only Jean-Claude's snack but we could find a dumb groupie to try it out on, I could watch give you pointers?" Jason asked hopefully, Angel laughed knowing he had to be in top form to outmaneuver this little devil.

 

"Well, when and if I get the urge to try my new powers I'll be sure to get you." That seemed to please Jason he leaned even closer to Angelus sniffing at him.

 

Sniff. Sniff. "Smells good too" Sniff. "Like raspberries?" Jason laughed at Angelus trying to sniff himself grumbling about Willow and pillows.

 

"Damn I hadn't noticed I smelled like raspberries, must be something Willow uses." All the shifters were giggling and laughing at Angel, he didn't mind it was kind of funny.

 

"You don't know…smell like raspberries I was just joking. You smell like something but I don't know what…raspberries just popped into my head." Angel wanted to smack the little punk but decided to get even instead. He moved his head so his mouth was just over Jason's ear before lightly blowing on it and making Jason shudder.

 

"You know I could get to like you." Jason was aware of Angelus talking softly into his ear, it made him all kinds of hot and bothered the man was very attractive. Angelus matched tall, dark and handsome to a "T" not to mention he had that mysterious bad boy…well bad vamp thing going for him and the tight leather pants helped too. Jason was surprised when Angelus licked his ear; he leaned even closer to his mouth.

 

Angel took Jason's leaning closer as a sign and bit him on the ear…hard. Jason yelped and flew about a foot off the couch. Angel laughed, as did everyone else, finally someone who understood how to hit Jason where it hurts most. Jason turned hurt eyes at him, making a show out of rubbing his ear. "Serves you right you brat, for making fun of me."

 

"Yeah, although I'm available for any kind of ear biting you might want to do in the future between Asher loving though is cool with me." Damn brat, Angel knew if he could blush he would be beet red by now.

 

"I'll have to remember that. Now tell me how did Asher get the scars?"

 

"I don't know but a really long time ago. Like before I was born or my father or my grandfather maybe. Anyway no one talks about it. Priests with holy water were trying to exercise the demon from Asher, the bunch of religious fools were torturing him; the holy water left behind burn marks. Jean-Claude saved him somehow but wasn't able to save Julianna Asher's human servant from being burned at the stake as a witch. Oh yeah Julianna, Asher and Jean-Claude had been a menage-a-trois back in the middle ages or whatever. So basically their story went backwards instead of boy saves girl, it was boy saves boy and boy blames him for not saving girl. As you can see they aren't really pals anymore although I believe they still have feelings for one another but not love binding ties or anything. So you still wanting to do him?" Jason knew the answer to that question but enjoyed asking Angelus anyway.

 

"Hmm…what you told me brings up many possibilities but yes I believe I am still wanting to do him." Mimicked Angel, first things first though he needed Willow's help with a couple of things.

 

"Right I figured as much. Good luck I don't envy you at all. He's probably turned pruder than a Catholic nun." Angel smirked.

 

"I like nuns, they taste sweet like honey and their blood is so warm and sticky." He licked his lips at the picture. Jason just stared at him.

 

"Vampires are strange creatures you think you got them all figured out and then they do something completely unexpected." Everyone turned and looked at Nathaniel when he spoke. Nathaniel turned beet red and gave an embarrassed smile. Everyone laughed and Angel joined in. He was making friends that new exactly what kind of monster he could be and it felt good. Maybe he would be able to fix Nathaniel and Asher and still have time to get Jason a permanent girlfriend. He had a feeling he knew just the right person but again he would need Willow's help for that.


	14. Part 14

Willow knew she wouldn't be able to keep playing with her new toy unless she was able to make nice with the bitch. She hated the fact that she had to go make nice but damn if the bitch would get her and Angel kicked out of the city on the basis that they had been mean to her.

 

Willow decided to go visit Anita in her jimmies…what better way to look non-threatening than in your sleepwear. Well, actually she was hoping not to get shot or eaten or both. She had heard about all people and she used the term loosely that hung out at Anita's house. All she had to do was transport herself over there and it was 2 in the morning, she would be home…and if not well then she’d pop back periodically to check.

 

"I can do this all I have to do is close my eyes and think of England, actually if I close my eyes and think of England I'll more than likely end up there and that would just suck, I would have to call Frenchy and ask him to come get me and I don't see him being all sure let me just pop right over and do that. What self respecting French guy would willingly go into England anyway they hate each other on principle or whatever. I hate having to be nice to her why can't Angel apologize? Probably because he didn't gag her and stuff her into a coffin sure to make anyone remotely human freak out and want their mommy. His idea of apologizing probably entails some form of fear and torture anyway. Rosenburg you can do this, think of it as something other than apologizing." Willow knew she was just killing time with her pep talk, she really didn't want to go but she would because they needed to stay here for while until they figured everything out and they couldn't do that unless they were on civil terms with the bitch. Willow closed her eyes and thought of the sidewalk in front of Anita's house, everyone had a sidewalk so it was a safe bet.

 

~*~*~*~*~

 

Micah felt something in the air, as did every shifter in the house. They all froze and looked over to him for what to do. He sighed wondering what new something was after Anita. This would make the fifth attack on this house since he had moved in it was getting rather monotonous and expensive to fix, well it would have been if Jean-Claude hadn't been footing the bill. He slowly started going towards the door motioning for the others to take positions at every window and well standard procedure for them, now wasn't that the saddest thing he had ever thought. Everyone jumped about a foot in the air when instead of hearing the doorbell someone knocked very politely on the door. Now that was different, bad guys always rang the doorbell or skipped it all together and bashed the door down. He was debating on looking out the window to check who it was or just opening the door, if it was bad news well they would knock the door down and windows so he could just wait until they did.

 

"Knock, knock, you people got something against answering the door? Am I at the wrong house? Is this Anita’s block or was that Blake's house? Yoo-hoo, hello if anybody answers my question I could be on my way" Everyone caught that since we all had enhanced hearing but it was still odd, no one who came here ever didn't know Anita's name or if she lived here. Micah decided the easiest thing to do was look out the damn window and determine if this new person was a threat or not. He had never seen someone go visiting with their pajamas on, he could clearly see what they were too, since she was wearing slippers with the head of some cartoon on them. This girl couldn't possibly be a threat who could be having what looked like a ghost chasing a dog.

 

"Caleb open the door she looks harmless enough." Micah hoped or else they were in serious trouble. Caleb did as he was told while everyone stayed back. He was all kinds of surprised when he saw who was at the door and what she was wearing. He couldn't help but smirk at her footwear. Scooby-Doo slippers to be exact and they matched her pajamas. Why she would show up here of all places dressed like that confused him and by the looks of things everyone else as well, even their fearless leader.

 

"Are you done looking at my very cool slippers? Cause I really need to know if Anita lives here?" Willow was surprised at the amount of people that lived

here exactly maybe they were just visiting. The guy just waved her in and she came face to face with whom she could only describe as the shortest hottest man she had ever seen. She had the wildest urge to rub his head and say here kitty kitty kitty it was probably the fact that his eyes were a strange yellow-green color.

 

"Why hello there Kitty-Oh my Goddess I so didn't mean to say that." At least he didn't look offended, he was smiling but it was a complex smile one that said more than I'm amused at you speaking before you think.

 

"Hello yourself, and what brings you to Anita's house this early in the morning in your pajamas?" He asked nicely but with there was something else in his voice that made me think he wouldn't hesitate to eat me.

 

"I'm here to" She couldn't bring myself to say it.

 

"You're here to" He prompted.

 

"I'm here toâ I can't you know say it."

 

"Yet here you are expecting me to welcome you to Anita's house when I don't know why you are here?" Willow thought she heard sarcasm but it was hard to tell.

 

"I can't say it but maybe I could you know do something to make it better or at least bearable. You know her right and you would know if she needed something I could help with?" Micah looked at her from head to toe clearly wondering what she could probably give Anita, dressed as she was, it looked more like she was going to a slumber party than anything.

 

"I can't think of anything right off." Micah chose to be diplomatic; maybe the girl was soft in the head.

 

"I owe her something and well I don't know what to get her. I mean flowers and candy she doesn't strike me as the type and” Willow trailed off something else had caught her attention. Anita had fish and she wondered if Angel would kill them just to be the sadistic fuck he normally was after all he had killed her fish. She bet Anita would just love to know her angel fish had been done in my their namesake...she would file this information away for later use.

 

"Why do you owe Anita?" Dammit why couldn't anyone just tell her what to get the bitch without 20 questions was it so hard to say she like chocolate chip cookies or some fucking peanut brittle? Willow was loosing her patience fast.

 

"Fuck me, what do you care? Just someone tell me what the hell to get her and I'll be on my fucking way, I still have a couple of things to do before I go to sleep." Micah was not surprised at the outburst; she looked the type with all that red hair. He wondered how funny it was she went from innocent schoolgirl to a demanding woman in her pajamas in a blink of an eye.

 

"I'm sorry you feel that way but we are cautious to whom we give information to, no matter how incredibly innocent they look." The pretty short man was going to end up an ugly rat if he didn't quit with the veiled sarcasm.

 

"Fine. I owe her for locking her up in a fucking coffin bound and gagged are you happy now? Was that enough information or would you like me to tell you how she was in there from about noon until sunset? How she tried to get out but nothing worked and how she went a little crazy in there and spent the night mumbling about angels, devils and witches? How about the fact that she's claustrophobic and I all but buried her alive? Now will you tell me what I can get her or would you like me to paint you a picture of what I did?" She could rival Angelus as a sadistic fuck when she felt the need and she felt it now.

 

Micah was shocked at what the girl was saying, Anita hadn't explained over the phone why she hadn't come home but he wasn't expecting this. He knew the

girl wouldn't have said anything if someone would have told her what she wanted but he could see the pleasure she derived from telling them exactly what Anita had suffered. He was betting this was the new vampires human servant. Anita had told him about Angelus but she had discounted the redhead briefly saying she was quiet fainting little thing how wrong she had been.

 

"Well, that tells us that you hurt Anita and are now here to make it up why?"

 

"Oh for the love of Pete. Does it matter? I'm here to make with the peace and hope she doesn't try to shoot Angelus again or me for that matter. I don't really care what she would want anymore, I'm way too tired to keep talking to you about this. Just whatever, tell her I dropped by and left her these things since no one could tell me what she would actually want." Micah would have asked what things but she was gone. One minute she was there and the next she wasn't. Everyone was shocked not only by her abrupt disappearance but because all the things she had said and last but not least the things she had referred to.

 

"I'm guessing she's a witch." Micah glared at Caleb, he was one for stating the obvious. He looked around as was everyone else seeing the cookies, cakes, bath salts, candles, stuffed animals, and more littering the living room. Guess she really wasn't here to do more than get Anita something. Everyone drifted over to the food and sniffed everything making sure it was Ok before eating it; Micah went to the kitchen only to find baskets of fruits and tins of gourmet popcorn and nuts on every available surface. He had as sinking feeling each room in the house had a theme, the living room being a mix of everything Anita would not be pleased. In fact she was here; he could hear her opening the door and freezing as she took everything in.

 

"What the fuck is all this stuff doing in my house?"

 

~*~*~*~*~

 

Willow was very pleased with how she decided to make it up to Anita. It didn't hurt that the excess would annoy Anita, hopefully though the woman would leave her and Angel be. Willow was glad to be back to playing with her new toy. When Angel came in right before sunrise she turned off her toy and joined Angel in bed, he seemed happy with whatever he had done all night. She still felt a little guilty about kicking him out; that was why she didn't tell him about the Anita fiasco, she could tell him tomorrow no need to worry him now.


	15. Part 15

Willow knew she had been rude to Angel yesterday in her excitement over her new toy, which was why she was going to spend today making it up to him. Jason had told her about his little stay with all the shifters in the circus when she had gone to breakfast. Even if Jason hadn’t told her she would have noticed all the extra warm bodies that had followed him to bed. She had been weirded out, when she had been awaken to feel them getting all settled in, but then she figured the more the merrier. It was an interesting experience to wake up in a pile of bodies one that she rather not keep repeating, which was why Angel was moving into the suite next to hers with the connecting door.

 

“Angel I’m feeling bad about kicking you out yesterday. I mean it was rude and so today I’m all about doing whatever you want.” Willow was a little wary of the very pleased look on his face and the very evil smirk.

 

“Now that you mention it little one I do need your help with a couple of things.” Angel wondered how long it would take Willow to get the full picture after she started helping him.

 

“Ok so what do you need?”

 

“I need you to use that infernal machine to find all the things I need.”

 

Willow automatically turned on her laptop and was ready to go a searching for her friend when she wondered why he would need her to use the laptop. “Um, your not going to want me to order torture implement, are you?”

 

“No although it is something to think about. I need you to help me order other things. Starting with one dozen black roses to be delivered here to Asher everyday for the next two weeks. The card should say: I see you.”

 

“Damn, your stalking Asher? You’re going to get us killed, haven’t you ever heard of using normal non-threatening and unscary methods? Who wants to be wooed by a psychotic lover slash killer?” Angel just laughed.

 

“Little one he is a vampire, and a warped one by the things I’ve heard and seen, he will appreciate my wooing. Do not worry no one is going to die but it will be a very interesting two weeks.”

 

“I can’t believe I’m helping you try to win over the prudest vampire on the block; don’t look so surprised you’d be amazed at all the things you find on the internet. Oh yeah this place is so strange, you dead guys got rights and stuff. Your constitutional rights are upheld more than a human's, that’s just wrong and depraved somehow since most of you don’t even care. On another note everyone in the shifter community is probably going to want to meet the only vampire who enjoys cuddling and doesn’t play games for the most part by the way no more asking for your meal they will probably be lined up to feed you.”

 

“I knew those things were evil. They provide gossip for the people who obviously use them. I thought it was great to have constitutional rights, I didn’t even have those back when I was alive.” Angel watched as Willow went online and filled out the order form for the roses, all very impersonal and perfect for what he wanted.

 

“On the one hand you only had to die, become a monster, kill a lot of *innocent* people, get cursed with your soul, help Buffy, go all evil, kill more innocent people, try to plunge the world into hell, get your soul back, get to sent to hell by Buffy, come back, help more people, get a son, loose the son, get him back, and loose him again when you jump into the portal with the witch who got you stuck in weird dimension but on the bright side you got constitutional rights.” Willow was happy to wipe that pleased look of Angel’s face; he was such a dork at times.

 

“Way to ruin my fun. Anyway, I also need you to help me find fish specifically Angel fish.”

 

“Angel fish? Been talking to the shifters about Anita have you?” Willow asked with a knowing smirk

 

“No. Why would you ask that?”

 

“Cause I went to her house to make up for the whole locking her up thing and she has Angel fish. I also left lots and lots of present, no one would tell me what she likes so I left anything I could think of and in as many flavors, colors, and shapes as I could think of. I also left her a book on the proper way to kill vampires, it was embarrassing to watch her shoot you.” Angel just shook his head ruefully; his Willow was very weird at times.

 

“I need Angel fish for Asher, although maybe I should change the fish type? Since she has those?”

 

“Please tell me you didn’t.”

 

“Didn't what?”

 

“Kill his fish too.”

 

“Christ no. What would give you…never mind.” Angel knew exactly why Willow would ask the question. He really hated the fact that Angelus...well he had killed her fish but at the time it had caused such sweet fear and chaos among his opponents. Well, that still wasn't a good reason to have killed her fish but he was sorry. "I'm sorry." He offered lamely, she just waved away his apology and kept right on rambling.

 

“Well you are asking for fish and you are a notorious fish killer I have first hand experience on that so I wondered why you would need fish. I thought maybe you’d killed his guppies and left them for him to find artfully arranged with a very fetching picture of them alive on silk sheets in his room or something. It would be your idea of foreplay no doubt.” Angel liked the image she provided, well except for the dead fish that he was not going for, wooing not fear of someone killing things for you. He planned having foreplay be actual hands on thing.

 

“No I’m not killing his anything I want to shower him with gifts things that are not exactly perfect but have beauty of their own. We also need to find and order a couple of other presents, so get cracking wench, you owe me for last night.” Willow grumbled good naturedly about blackmailing vampires with homicidal tendencies trying to woo prude vampires with less homicidal tendencies but their own share of hang ups. She was also not understanding how fish would help but she wouldn’t argue with the master at gift giving. He always had a purpose even if most of the time it involved striking fear into the hearts of others and killing their defenseless fish.


	16. Part 16

Asher was surprised to see a piece of paper on the inside of his coffin. He stepped out and saw that it was a drawing of him, except it focused on his scarred side. Whoever had drawn this was a very good he had even captured the slight breeze and how much Asher enjoyed the feel of it the few times he actually went out of the circus. He didn't like the fact that someone was obviously playing with him, or that they knew where he slept. It was some sort of sick joke, no doubt. He hated to think that going outside the Circus caused some joker to play such games. He didn't bother waiting for Jean-Claude to fully emerge from his coffin before departing; he hated the drawing but couldn't bring himself to throw it away. He went to his suite and put it in the locked desk drawer before he noticed the flowers on top of his desk.

 

"Des roses noires? Qui enverrait cela?" (Black roses? Who would send them?) Asher spoke to himself out loud as he carefully looked for a card. He found it; although it was not signed it just said, "I see you". He couldn't understand why someone would send roses and not sign them, unless they were playing some sort of game. Whatever it was he would be damned before he fell for it. In fact he bet it was Jean-Claude trying to mend burned bridges, he wouldn't stand for it and would return the roses at one.

 

Asher couldn't help himself when he smelled them; roses had been something he had loved before. Julianna had kept a garden full of them, at one time. She had never kept black roses just the white, yellows and pinks; she said they were the sun for him and Jean-Claude. He used to laugh and tell her they needed no sun, they had her but now he didn't even have that. Asher left his suite seeking out Jean-Claude in his own rooms' flowers in hand.

 

~*~*~*~*~

 

"Jean-Claude."

 

"Oui? Tu sembles troubl. Qu'est qui ne vas pas?" (Yes? You seem disturbed. Is there anything wrong?) Jean-Claude was surprised to Asher at his most standoffish and with black roses.

 

"Ne joue pas de jeu, vieil ami. Tu sais que c'est mal. Je n'ai pas besoin de souvenirs du pass et j'apprcierais que tu n'envoies plus de roses noires avec des messages sans sens." (Do not play games old friend. You know what is wrong. I do not need reminders of my past and I would appreciate if you would not send black roses with nonsensical messages.)

 

"Tu m'accuses de ceci? Pourquoi?" (You accuse me of this. Why?)

 

"Qui d'autre enverrait des roses noires avec une carte disant "Je te voie"?" (Who else would send black roses with the card reading "I see you".) For some reason Asher decided to leave the drawing out.

 

"Je peux t'assurer que je n'ai pas fait cela. Je sais ce que les roses veulent dire, Asher. J'tais l . Peu importe combien tu me bl¢mes, tu sais que je ne ferais jamais une chose aussi cruelle dlibrÏment. Pour ce qui est de qui les a envoyes, tu en saurais plus que moi. Peut-ªtre quelqu'un s'est entich de toi et aime le suspense de te garder dans le noir." (I can assure I have done no such thing. I know what roses mean Asher I was there. No matter how much you blame me you know I would never be this deliberately cruel. As for who did send them well you would know more that I. Maybe someone is enamored with you and they like the suspense of not telling you?) Jean-Claude was as confused and surprised by the roses as Asher and even jealous of the mysterious someone who had given them to Asher, this was more of a reaction to anything than Asher had expressed in a long time.

 

Asher laughed bitterly at that. "Oui, je suis s"r qu'elle ne peut s'empªcher de tomber en amour avec mon visage, n'est-ce pas Jean-Claude? Je veux dire, qui pourrait rsister ce visage? N'est-il pas ce que tout le monde dsir et plus encore?" (Yes, I'm sure they just can't help themselves from falling in love with my beautiful faceâis that not right Jean-Claude? I mean who wouldn't fall for this face? Is it not everything one would want and more?) Asher was practically growling every word; Jean-Claude was at a loss as to what to say. He didn't agree with Asher but trying to tell him that would just be seen as pity.

 

"Je ne peux te dire quoi ressentir, Asher. Je ne peux m'empÏªcher de m'excuser et je suis fatugu de marcher sur des coquilles d'oeufs. Qu'est-ce que tu veux que je te dise? Devrais-je dire que je te trouve hideux? Est-ce ce que tu me demandes ou veux-tu que je trouve la mystrieuse personne qui te trouve suffisament beau pour t'envoyer des roses? Je ne sais pas, cher ami. Je suis aussi confus que toi. Je peux seulement esprer que peu importe elle est, elle sais quel point la bataille dans laquelle est s'engage est difficile." (I can't tell you what to feel Asher. I can't keep apologizing and I'm tired of the eggshells I walk on. What would you like me to say? Should I agree that you are hideous? Is that what you are asking or would you like me to figure out why a mysterious someone would find you attractive enough to send roses? I do not know dear friend. I am as confused by this as you. I can only hope that whoever it is knows how hard a battle they are waging.) Jean-Claude left an angry Asher in his sitting room while he went to bathe and get dressed, he would think about this latest development and put his newest pets to figure this mystery out. He didn't want Asher hurt if this was some kind of ploy.

 

Asher was angry with Jean-Claude for not sending the roses; it would have made receiving them easier to bear. Which was completely deranged, he shouldn't care but he did. It bothered him that a drawing and some black roses would make all the old feelings surface. He had hoped them buried and dead, but they weren't and that bothered him more than anything, he couldn't afford to let all those feelings out they would drive him mad. He didn't know what to do with the roses so he just put them back in his suite on the nightstand not bothering to wonder why he was keeping them. Asher also missed Jason's very satisfied smirk as he walked by the wolf that was lurking near his door.


	17. Part 17

Jason wasted no time in running to report the development to his latest best friend. Angelus would be pleased to hear that Asher was reacting to the gift. He didn't bother knocking, he barged right in surprising a half naked Angelus.

 

"What the- Oh its you." For a second Angel had been wondering if Anita had come back after reading the book Willow had left for her.

 

"Oh its me?" Mimicked Jason. "I might as well not tell you what I know." Jason sat himself down on the unmade bed.

 

"Jason, I meant oh its you in a good way. I thought it was Anita and well I was already planning to kill her fish." Jason looked a bit confused.

 

"Kill her fish? What the hell would that do except maybe save her money on the fish care? She doesn't even like them; Nathaniel is the one that takes care of them. Which is ironic a cat taking care of fish." Angel pouted; he really couldn't kill Nathaniel's fish.

 

"Right. Well what do you know?" Angel talked as he buttoned his leather pants and slipped on his blue silk shirt.

 

"Nuh uh not telling, you were all its only you" Angel knew what the kid wanted, he sighed and went to sit next to him on the bed, he even went as far as to put his hand on Jason's thigh.

 

"Jason, you are without a doubt the most annoying person I have ever met but you're OK most of the time when you aren't being a pain in the butt, now tell me what you know." As incentive Angel was currently massaging Jason's thigh.

 

"Well sure since you ask so nicely, let me just spill my guts..." Jason yelped and tried to get away from Angel's massaging hand but it wasn't working. "OK OK keep your pants on. Sheesh tease a vamp a little and they go all homicidal on you. Asher was worked up something fierce over those roses you sent, went as far as to growl at Jean-Claude."

 

"What did he growl?" Angel was pleased at the reaction.

 

"Can't tell you." Jason winced at the pressure on his thigh went up; he was going to have a bruise. "Not because I don't want to but because they spoke French. I no nothing of French maybe some Spanish but its mostly will you sleep with me so it was no help." Jason rubbed his thigh gingerly as Angel let it go.

 

"Now was that so very hard Jason?" Angel smiled fondly at the kid, he knew that sometimes you just needed to remind the kid his games were not always fun.

 

"Yeah, I have a bruise now and Jean-Claude's going to have my ass since I work at Guilty Pleasures tonight." It was Angel's turn to wince, oops maybe he should of thought about that before using excessive force.

 

"Sorry. Maybe I can-" Yet another person chose to barge into his room, except this time it was Jean-Claude. "Man but I am popular today. So what can I do for you?"

 

"Angelus I need you to find something out for me." Jean-Claude was surprised to see Jason with a vampire other than himself, Jason tended to stay away from vampires as a whole.

 

"The thing I am finding out? Do I need to wear clothes that don't stain or can I go as I am?" It was always good to know what things were being referred to.

 

"Non at least I don't believe you will. I want you to politely inquire who sent black roses to the circus and specifically why Asher." Now this was a surprise and it would be unpleasant, Jason on the other hand found it extremely amusing.

 

"So what you want me to go around asking who would send Asher flowers?"

 

"Non."

 

"OK, then how do you want me to find out this information?"

 

"Use that machine your servant had me buy for her." Now why didn't I think of that?

 

"Right. I don't really think we will find anything except maybe some poor slob who liked your boy and decided to send flowers. After I find him or her I what? Break them? Warn them to stay away? Should I ask them if their intentions are honorable?" Angel knew that he was walking a thin line being sarcastic but Jean-Claude had to let Asher deal on his own and what better way then by making the master feel stupid.

 

Jean-Claude grimaced, he wasn't Asher's father and Asher was no blushing virgin. Angelus he hated to admit it had a point. "You are correct. However should anything untoward happen I would like this slob dealt with accordingly." Angel nodded. He would definitely deal with himself after he had Asher in his bed.

 

"Jason you are going to be late for your set." Jean-Claude absently noted that his wolf was indeed still here and very amused about something. Jason got up and was heading out when Angel stopped him Jean-Claude raised an eyebrow at that.

 

"Actually I was just going to ask you if I could borrow him..."

 

"Non." Jean-Claude was furious that the vampire would dare ask for his pomme-de-sang.

 

Jason just shook his head at Angelus, for a vampire he was really lacking in his communication skills. Angel was just confused at how fast Jean-Claude had denied his request; he didn't even know what the request was yet.

 

"Angelus, he thinks you want me to be your snack." Jason clarified for the confused vampire. Jean-Claude just looked on impassively as realization dawned on Angelus face.

 

"Oh. No I already snacked, I mean ate. Nathaniel came by earlier. I meant borrow Jason so he could show me around the city. I need to make contacts here and learn the layout of the city as well." That sounded professional, not like I was just trying to keep Jason here with me for some other reason.

 

Jean-Claude considered the request. On the one hand he would have to find someone to fill in for Jason but on the other what Angelus wanted had merit. He nodded and left. He needed to deal with his business and find Asher and discuss new security measures for the circus it was getting to easy to get in.

 

"Thanks for that."

 

"Your welcome now lets go get my witch and take her out to eat, she been bugging me about Chinese." Jason was happy to barge into Willow's room as well except she was fully dressed and sitting on her bed surfing the net.

 

"Hey witch, Angelus said we are going out to eat Chinese so come on lets go before he decides to stay here and make goo goo eyes at Asher." Willow laughed when Angel smacked Jason on the head.

 

"Right. Then Chinese it is. Lets go paint the town red." Willow thought about what she said. "I don't mean literally Angelus, I don't want to get any kind of blood on my clothing. You would literally paint the town red if we gave you half a chance."

 

"I resent that red, I would never paint the town red, that is so unsporting. I think big, maybe the whole state, think of what fun we could have." Jason shuddered at the gleam in his eyes. He would paint the state red given half a chance and wasn't it a good thing he had decided not to alienate this vampire.

 

Willow just shrugged and mumbles something about later while Angelus laughed at Jason's reactions. "Man you two are strange but at least I can't complain since you two are feeding me."

 

They all left the Circus in a limo, after both Willow and Jason insisted on going out in style. Angel thought they would be drawing unnecessary attention but they wouldn't listen so he relented, he had to admit it was nice. He still had a bad feeling about it though


	18. Part 18

"I told you so."

 

"You did not tell us so."

 

"Did I not say we would draw unnecessary attention to ourselves in the limo?" Willow and Jason both conceded the point, behind the overturned table.

 

"Well, yeah but who would think these, who are they again Jason?"

 

"Radical group called Humans First. They hate anything preternatural and go about killing it any mean necessary." Jason was maybe thinking that his two shiny new friends attracted more trouble than Anita and that was bad.

 

"Right, how should we have known that these human psychos would be staking out the circus waiting for I'm assuming someone of more importance than us three? I didn't even know about them. I hadn't really searched the internet for human nutballs that hate vampires." Angel knew she had a point. He was behind another overturned table at the Chinese restaurant. He was glad he had brought Jason along, without him they would have been shot full of holes before either of them had seen anything. Jason had smelled the gun oil or something like that.

 

"So other than arguing are you guys going to do anything I mean they are like 20 humans out there all with guns and not running out of bullets." There had been a steady stream of gunfire from the other side of the room for the past few seconds although it seemed longer.

 

"Yeah but first we have to call Jean-Claude and ask." Angel grimaced at Willow's reply.

 

"Why are we calling him if they are trying to kill us at the moment."

 

"Because blockhead he's the Master of the City and last time I checked he employed us. Also all this gun fire is bound to attract the police and killing the little bastards much as I would like wouldn't go over well with the local law enforcement." Angel knew she had a good point but damn if he didn't want to kill them anyway.

 

"So what we wait out the police?" Angel said that with so much distaste Willow and Jason laughed.

 

"Yeah. Unless Jean-Claude says other wise we wait out the police. Angel can you get yourself shot again?"

 

"No. I hate being shot it hurts." Angel could whine with the best of them.

 

"Why do you want Angel to get shot?" Jason asked confused as he crowded closer to Willow and the cover the table provided.

 

"He gets hurt we get 5,000 dollar bonus from the boss. I would do it but bullets tend to do more damage to a human than a vampire." Jason was surprised at that.

 

"Mercenary little thing aren't you?"

 

"Not really but we need money and I need to call Jean-Claude now before the police respond to all the 911 calls that are originating from here."

 

~*~*~*~*~

 

Jean-Claude was thinking about the best way to get Anita to come to Circus when his ringing phone interrupted him. He sighed and picked it up.

 

"Jean-Claude."

 

"Willow" She mimicked, knowing he answered his phone like that 007 chap Spike was always making fun of. She could just picture him saying, Claude. Jean-Claude. He had the accent for it except his was French and the other guys was English so maybe he didn't have the accent for it.

 

"I know you are there. Did you call merely to hear the sound of my voice?" Willow winced she hated when her thoughts spaced her out.

 

"No, sorry I spaced. We are getting shot at by Humans First, what are your orders?" Jean-Claude sat bolt upright in his chair.

 

"Are you sure?" Willow just stuck the phone out so he could hear the shots clearly.

 

"Does that answer your question?" Jean-Claude didn't doubt the shots he had meant the group but that was irrelevant now.

 

"Are you in a public place?"

 

"Yes, Chinese restaurant. In fact we were followed, they were hoping it was you I guess since we came here in the limo. We are ass deep in humans toting guns and they aren't afraid to use them. The cops are on their way, should we slaughter them or wait the cops out or run like hell?" Willow grimaced at the last, she never ran.

 

Jean-Claude knew his answer before it had even registered exactly what he was saying. "Slaughter them make sure Angelus uses his talent. Then get back here, make sure the cops don't see you."

 

"Gotcha." Willow hung up and looked over at Angel gave him thumbs up sign he grinned maliciously.

 

"Jason stay here and don't move a muscle no matter what. My advice is keep your head down, you wont like what you see." Jason agreed with her statement, he had seen the smiles they had shared.

 

Willow stood up, letting her power out to play. Her eyes and hair had turned black. She stopped the bullets coming at her; they were suspended in mid air. Angelus had taken advantage of her distraction; he was currently a blur moving towards the closest human. The human didn't have a chance; Angel was on him in a heartbeat. Angel ripped the guys heart out of his chest, it was still beating when he threw it to the other guy watching in stunned horror.

 

"Catch." The other guy's reflexes immediately kicked in, before he could form another thought Angel had ripped the arm holding the gun out of the socket. Blood squirted everywhere like a fountain. Angel dropped the guy to bleed to death he was still holding his friends heart. Angel looked over at Willow she was glorious to behold.

 

"You've been very bad humans and you tried to kill me, naughty naughty." Willow sing songed as she reversed the bullets suspended in mid air and sent them seeking human targets. She made sure they all hit joints. She could hear the bones shattering and the screams, so lovely.

 

"You've been very naughty and the boss man, he said to make examples out of you so guess what boys, life is about to get really interesting." She took the guns from the ones that were still able to hold them; she threw them to the other side of the room.

 

Angelus made a show of sniffing the air after riping somone's throat out. "You smell that? It's the sweet smell of fear, I can almost taste it, makes me hungry for some pain." The humans were stuck to their places, they couldn't move only look in abject terror as Angelus grabbed a dull knife from a table and came closer.

 

Willow conjured daggers and sent them flying into the nearest human, pinning him to the wall. That one would die from the wounds to all his major organs. She and Angel were starting on the outskirts of the group and moving steadily towards the center. She grabbed a knife and gave one of them a second smile. Nothing like slicing someone's throat to get the creative juices flowing.

 

Angelus used the dull knife to carve and "A" on the man's cheek. Then he methodically stabbed the man where it would cause the most damage. You could barely see any blood coming out of this one but that was because he was bleeding internally, and that hurt more than bleeding out. The next one just got his neck snapped, since the police where getting closer. He stabbed another in the chest, knowing he had punctured a lung and the guy would drown in his own blood long before help arrived. Willow and Angelus were left facing each other at the end of their bloody melee. They just grinned at each other's appearance. Their clothes were ruined. There was blood on their hand and faces like war paint.


	19. Part 19

Jason was cowering behind the table, he hadn't seen anything but he had smelled and heard plenty. The humans were screaming and crying out, while Willow and Angel just put them down. He smelled all the blood, and fear, he shuddered. He felt like something foul was sitting in his stomach, he felt nauseated. Jason heard the sirens right outside the restaurant and felt a funny vertigo feeling before he opened his eyes to find himself in Jean-Claude's office.

 

"Is everyone OK?" Jean-Claude asked seeing the amount of blood caked on Angelus and Willow. Jason was still cowering at his feet, but other than scared his wolf was fine and for that he was grateful, he was very fond of Jason.

 

"Yeah. The blood isn't ours" Asher walked in before Willow could finish.

 

"Mon Dieu." Asher came to a complete stop when he smelled and saw Angelus and the witch. "Where the hell have you two been?"

 

"Killing humans in the most delightful ways, all those screams and fear." Angelus shuddered and moved closer to Asher he was horny and the object of his affection was close at hand. He circled around the blond vampire like a shark waiting to strike.

 

"Jean-Claude what is the meaning of this?" Asher disliked wanton violence; they had enough trouble with Anita without letting these two out on the public.

 

"The meaning is clear Asher, Humans First attacked our friends and I told them to make an example of the group." Asher understood but would Anita.

 

"What about Anita?" Jean-Claude sighed.

 

"Mon ami we will deal with her should their actions be known, however if its not made public then it will be kept here. No one will talk of this outside this room ever." Everyone nodded. Angelus stopped in front of Asher he licked his lips in anticipation of what was to come. He tilted his head to one side then the other as if pondering something. Most of the time Asher was able to ignore the looks but today his composure was frayed a little thin.

 

"What?"

 

"This." Angel grabbed the blond by the neck and pulled him towards him, he used one hand to pull Asher's hair away from his face before kissing him. No sooner had his lips touched his than he was pressed his tongue between them. He probed Asher's mouth with determination; he made damn sure this would be a kiss to remember. He pressed Asher closer to his body. He didn't know if surprise had rendered Asher immobile or if he was responding to his advance but he wasn't about to stop and ask. He ground his erection against Asher's; he moved his hands so they were holding Asher's face. A slight cough made him realize they weren't alone and he drew back. He let go of Asher's face, but he saw a bloody fingerprint that marred Asher's scarred cheek he licked it off; leaned over and whispered in Asher's ear. "I see you." Angel grinned at the vampire and left.

 

Asher was stunned by everything that had just happened. He couldn't believe he had just let Angelus kiss him and arouse him in front of Jean-Claude and his human servant not to mention Jason. Asher had even forgotten about his scars until he remembered that his hair was no longer covering them, he shook it forward to hide them. He was embarrassed and ashamed. He was also confused as to why Angelus would whisper, "I see you." Unless he sent the roses but why would he?

 

"You'll have to excuse him, he gets high strung when he gets to kill people goes to his head. Now if you boys will excuse me I need a shower, I smell like a blood bank." Willow felt dirty and not in the covered in blood sense, something inside her felt dirty. She left knowing Asher and Jean-Claude had issues. Jason followed her, quickly and quietly.

 

~*~*~*~*~

 

"Je vois qu'un autre gagne ton affection, mon ami." "I see another wins your affections now mon ami."

 

"Non. Angelus est un btard sadique qui aime jouer, pas de doutes." "Non. Angelus is just a sadistic bastard who enjoys games, no doubt." Asher didn't feel as sure as he sounded, Jean-Claude could sense this.

 

"Je ne pense pas. Je crois que tu as trouv quelqu'un qui ne s'enfuiera pas devant tes refus rtitifs. Tu devrais avoir peur. Il n'a pas l'air du genre laisser tomber et si j'ai appris une chose, c'est qu'il est fort et ne tol¨re aucune barri¨re." "I don't think so, I believe you have found someone who will not run at your rejections you should be afraid of him. He doesn't look the type to give up and if I have learned anything tonight is that he is ruthless and takes what he wants no holds barred." Jean-Claude had mixed feelings about learning of Angelus infatuation with Asher; he was both happy and sad. He knew Asher would not come to him ever again.

 

"Pas de doutes, il aurait fait la mme chose avec quiconque tait le plus pr¨s. Il aime choquer et il a du trouver ma raction amusante." "No doubt he would have done the same with whoever was closest. He enjoys shock tactics and probably found my reaction amusing." Jean-Claude nodded as Asher turned to leave.

 

"Ça n'explique pas pourquoi tu es excit, cher ami." "That doesn't explain why you are aroused dear friend." Asher stopped before he reached the door. He had thought Jean-Claude had missed that.

 

"Il est trÏ¨s beau." "He is very pretty." Asher conceded.

 

"J'en suis sÏ"r. Trouve ce que nos amis ont fait ce soir, sans alerter tout le monde." "An understatement I'm sure. Find out what you can about what our friends did tonight without alerting anyone." Asher nodded and left. Jean-Claude wondered how long it would take Angelus to win over Asher with a very pleased smile on his face.


	20. Part 20

Willow was about to start undressing when she sensed Jason behind her. She didn't want to turn around and see his fear, disgust, and anything else the wolf might be displaying.

 

"How can you do that?" Willow knew what he was referring to and didn't want to talk about it she shrugged and kept undressing she needed a shower.

 

"Don't do that. Tell me how." Jason had placed a hand on her bare shoulder.

 

"It just is…like throwing a switch inside yourself. One minute I'm me and the next all I can think about is death, murder, and mayhem." She shrugged off his hand and went into the bathroom, turning on the shower, so it would nice and warm when she got in. Jason followed taking off his own clothes.

 

"Does it hurt? That switch inside you?" Willow was surprised at the question and the fact she had one almost naked blond wolf in her bathroom. She had on her unmentionables like a bathing suit and he had on his boxers but it didn't feel like swimming.

 

"Whaaat are you doing?"

 

"Taking a shower…you?" He asked with a sad smile not like the ones he usually gave her, she missed them and decided not to kick him out as long as he behaved.

 

"Behave and we can shower together. Try anything wolf boy and your out." He nodded. She didn't know whether go get in with her underwear on or off, she was embarrassed. Willow decided to throw caution to wind and took her underwear off and jumped in the shower letting the water hit her face as if by that action alone she could get clean enough. Willow almost jumped out of her skin when Jason's arms came around her holding her close, he was completely naked and that did nothing for her libido.

 

"Does it hurt? The switch inside you?" She snuggled closer to his embrace she needed this.

 

"Yes. I loose a little bit of myself every time I kill human. It makes me feel empty and cold inside. It kills something in me, something I can never get back." Jason knew that he had seen it in Jean-Claude's office when she had caught sight of her reflection in one of the mirrors. He murmured nonsense and rocked her as she cried.

 

"I'm not afraid of you or Angel. I never was. I was afraid that I liked what you were doing to them a little too much. I wanted to join you and roll around in their blood and pain." Willow looked into Jason's eyes and saw the truth she smiled and kissed him. She made a promise to herself right then and there she would never let him become like her. He had become her ray of sunshine and hope. The need to have each other exploded within them at the brief contact of that kiss.

 

They kissed often, sometimes playfully with the water splashing on their faces, sometimes deeply with the feeling. They caressed each other with slick, soapy hands. After she'd had her way with him, he knelt in front of her, nuzzled her thighs until they parted and then made provocative use of his tongue. The foreplay was stimulating but they needed more. Jason pushed Willow into the wall she wrapped her legs around his waist with one thrust he was inside her. "My God, Willow," he gasped; Willow slid her hands over his butt and drew him deeper into her, rocking her hips against him. Jason's deep blue eyes held hers as he began thrusting into her smoothly and powerfully. She ran her hands over his back, loving the feel of his skin. It emanated vitality, life. He stroked them toward a climax that seized them quickly and simultaneously.

 

Willow didn't think she could move much less talk. Jason was feeling much the same way.

 

Jason rinsed them off and dried them. Willow was still basking in the afterglow it had been so long. Afterward they got into bed and were lying spooned together when she said, "That was wow."

 

Jason laughed, pushed aside a handful of her hair and kissed the back of her neck. "It was definitely wow. You're incredible and I think I could come to like you...a lot." Willow was stunned by the announcement.

 

"I think I could fall in serious like with you too."

 

"I'm glad I've never told that to anyone I've slept with before." Willow believed him. She snuggled closer to him and he nuzzled her neck, they fell asleep that way.

 

~*~*~*~*~

 

Angel could hear what was going on in the room next to his and smiled, at least someone was getting off tonight. He was glad Jason and Willow was getting together. They would even each other out, Jason needed Willow to rein him in and teach him some manners and Willow needed Jason to teach her to relax and let go of the past. Now all he needed was for Asher to get with the program, he had many nights of pleasuring himself ahead until Asher did.


	21. Part 21

Asher was restless and angry; he wanted to do something violent to Angelus. Every time he turned around he was there watching him, seeing him. It had only been 24 hours since the kiss but it was hard to forget something when the person who caused it was constantly in your line of sight but he wouldn't give Angelus the pleasure of confronting him.

 

He had taken refuge in his room, only to find that Angelus was still here. More black roses and drawings, of everyone around him. Jason, Anita, Jean-Claude, Nathaniel, Willow and even Damian were drawn at the exact moment hey for whatever reason were looking at him. The expressions were always the same and captured so he could not mistake them for anything but the truth. Damn Angelus, he didn't need to see this he liked everything the way it was. Even now as angry as he was he couldn't destroy the artwork or roses. He was ashamed of liking the gifts but he angry with the person who sent them, he didn't want them and he didn't need them.

 

He wanted to stay in his room and wallow in his anger but Jean-Claude had summoned him to his quarters and he could do no other than obey.

 

~*~*~*~*~

 

His ma petite was currently on her way over to see him about a police case she had been called upon to help with. She wanted to ask him some questions and show him pictures to see if he had ever come across something like whatever had happened in his lifetime. He hated lying to her but what could he say that wouldn't cause her to execute him and everyone else involved...nothing. He wanted everyone in the room with him, just incase she already knew and was just here to see if they had acted by themselves. Jean-Claude wondered were Jason was, normally he could be found in the kitchen or his room but tonight he wasn't.

 

"I'm running around chasing after my pets because I can't find anyone in my own home." He was aggravated and about to become more if someone didn't show up soon. He went to Angelus' room maybe Jason would be there. Except he wasn't, which lead to the question of where everyone was. He went next door and knocked on the redhead's door.

 

"Mademoiselle? May I come in?" He listened patiently for an answer and when it came he was surprised.

 

"Go away." Came the groggy reply, which meant she was asleep no doubt.

 

"Mademoiselle, it is imperative that I talk to you and Angelus. Anita is on her way here." That got her attention.

 

"All right come in but make it quick." He opened the door and was surprised to see his wolf in bed with her. He hadn't seen that coming and by the look and smell of things it had progressed a lot since he had last seen them.

 

"Anita is on her way to talk to me about what happened yesterday no doubt. I do not know if she is just coming to ask if I have any information or to get the full story before she arrest you and executes Angelus and myself and anyone else she thinks involved." Willow was still asleep for the most part and she had caught about 1/3 of all that he had said. She just knew he looked pretty leaning against the doorjamb reminded her of the musketeer movie all that was missing was the dashing pencil mustache and the sword.

 

Jason was waiting for Willow to reply when he looked at her, she was just staring at Jean-Claude in the funniest way. He didn't think she had heard anything.

 

"Willow?"

 

"Right. Well I'm sure we will beat Cardinal Richelieu and save Louis whatever number, with D'Artagnan here to help. He's good with a sword. Now that we got that out of the way I'm going back to bed I'm tired." Jason was silently laughing, this girl would be the death of him.

 

Jean-Claude didn't know what she was talking about. She looked at him so long he had thought she had gone back to sleep but no she had been dreaming about something involving a cardinal and he wasn't amused.

 

"I'll get her up and dressed and to your rooms in 20 minutes, although I can't vouch for how awake she will be." Jean-Claude nodded and left. Jason immediately got them both up and showered, although he held Willow up while he washed her since she didn't show any signs of waking. Got them both dressed and was on his way out when he heard Angelus enter his own rooms. He was holding Willow, so he kicked at the door instead of knocking.

 

"Its open."

 

"Doesn't matter cant open it anyway. Get you lazy ass over here and open it for me." Angel sighed. He got up and opened the door surprised to find Willow in Jason's arms.

 

"She's fine just sleeping. I can't get her to wake up, Jean-Claude came by earlier and said he wanted us in his rooms Anita was coming over." Angel groaned he hated that woman.

 

"Lovely. Just what I needed to top off a wonderful evening." Jason saw right through that.

 

"Asher still running?"

 

"Yes, into his rooms so I couldn't see him." Angel had to smile at the fact the vampire was hiding from him.

 

"He hates being in his room so punishment enough I think. Now come on before Jean-Claude blows something." Angel reluctantly followed Jason and the sleeping Willow.

 

~*~*~*~*~

 

Anita had seem a lot of violence in her life especially in the last couple of years but what she had seen today topped everything. Humans First had obviously chosen the wrong preternatural creatures at that Chinese restaurant; they had massacred the whole lot of them. The witnesses all had some sort of memory lapse because they didn't remember who had massacred the group. The staff said that they didn't see anything unusual in any of the diners. Anita didn't understand that statement did they just think anyone who was not human advertised it on their forehead or something? What bothered her was the fact that the security cameras had been destroyed, whether by the bullets or something else it wasn't determined but the incident hadn't been recorded. She knew Jean-Claude would be her best bet at finding out who had done that type of damage even in self defense. She had a file an inch thick sitting in the passenger seat that detailed exactly how each victim died.

 

Everyone at the Circus gave Anita a wide berth. Jean-Claude had warned them that she was more dangerous than normal that caused mass confusion and speculation among them. Standing theory was that Jean-Claude had finally tripped over whatever imaginary line she had for tolerance but not everyone agreed most were content with the usual lovers spat and sex issues the two always had. Of course everyone had heard about what had happened at the Chinese restaurant but it wasn't the master of the city's doing as far as anyone could tell but that however didn't stop them from thanking the unnamed someone's for killing the group.

 

Anita knew from over hearing the whispered conversations on her way to Jean-Claude's rooms that even if the culprit was hiding at the circus no one would give them up.

 

_TBC_


End file.
